Red markings indicate federal statutory holidays (whether each province observes the day off depends on provincial law: see Supplementary Explanation).
Blue markings indicate statutory holidays under provincial law.
The treatment of substitute holidays varies by province.
B-sect
G-sect
Y-sect
Supplementary Explanation
Canada is a federal state consisting of 13 provinces and territories. Therefore, there are statutory holidays established by the federal government and statutory holidays established by each provincial/territorial government. Statutory holidays defined by federal labor standards apply to federal public servants and private sector workers in federally regulated industries (*1). *1 Federally Regulated Industries: Industries where nationwide uniformity is required, such as banking, telecommunications, postal services, broadcasting, interprovincial/international transportation, grain handling, and nuclear energy.
The following table primarily compiles paid statutory holidays under labor standards legislation. In addition to these, individual provinces may define optional non-compulsory holidays, government office closures, bank holidays, or retail closing days.
"All Provinces" refers to holidays stipulated in the laws of all provinces/territories. Alphabetical codes represent holidays observed in those specific regions.
"Federal" refers to holidays established under federal law.
Date
Holiday
Applicable Regions
Jan 1
New Year's Day
All Provinces Federal
3rd Monday in Feb
Family Day
BC, AB, SK, ON, NB
Heritage Day
NS
Louis Riel Day
MB
Islander Day
PE
2 days before Easter
(Around Mar–Apr)
Good Friday
All Provinces *1 Federal
Day after Easter
(Around Mar–Apr)
Easter Monday
NU, (QC*1) Federal *Holiday by administrative rule
Monday preceding May 25
Victoria Day *2
Provinces except NB*3, NS, PE, NL*4, QC Federal
National Patriots' Day *2
QC
June 21
National Indigenous Peoples Day
NT, YT
June 24
Quebec Day
St. Jean Baptiste Day
QC
July 1
Canada Day
(National Day)
All Provinces *Memorial Day in NL Federal
July 9
Nunavut Day
NU
1st Monday in Aug
BC Day
BC
New Brunswick Day
NB
Civic Holiday
NT, NU (ON*5)
Saskatchewan Day
SK
3rd Monday in Aug
Discovery Day
YT
1st Monday in Sept
Labour Day
All Provinces Federal
Sept 30
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation *6
Orange Shirt Day
BC, MB, NT, PE, YT *7 Federal
2nd Monday in Oct
Thanksgiving *8
Provinces except NB*3, NS, PE, NL Federal
Nov 11
Remembrance Day
Provinces except ON, QC (MB, NS*9) Federal
Dec 25
Christmas Day
All Provinces Federal
Dec 26
Boxing Day
ON *3,4 Federal
*1 In Quebec, employers can choose either Good Friday or Easter Monday as a day off.
*2 Commemorates the birthday of Queen Victoria (May 24, 1819), the British monarch when Canada became a nation. In the former French colony of Quebec, it is known as "National Patriots' Day."
*3 In NB, Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, and Boxing Day are optional non-statutory holidays (no legal requirement to provide paid time off).
*4 In NL, provincial government offices are closed.
*5 While it is not a statutory holiday in ON, many businesses and corporations choose to close.
*6 A day to remember and ensure the history of indigenous persecution is never forgotten.
*7 Designated as a government office closure day in NB, NU, and NS.
*8 Shares the same historical origins as Thanksgiving in the United States, but is observed on a different date.
*9 While not a statutory holiday under labor standards in MB and NS, certain business restrictions or special holiday pay requirements apply to specific industries.
* In addition to the days listed above, NL designates several other days as provincial government office closures, including holidays from British and Irish traditions.
Abbr.
Province / Territory
AB
Alberta
BC
British Columbia
MB
Manitoba
NB
New Brunswick
NL
Newfoundland and Labrador
NS
Nova Scotia
NT
Northwest Territories
NU
Nunavut
ON
Ontario
PE
Prince Edward Island
QC
Quebec
SK
Saskatchewan
YT
Yukon
Canada's National Flag & National Anthem
National Flag
The national flag of Canada is the "Maple Leaf Flag." The leaf featured in the center is a sugar maple leaf. The red bands on the left and right represent the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, while the white square in the center symbolizes the whiteness of snow.
National Anthem
The national anthem of Canada is "O Canada." The lyrics are intended to inspire patriotism and love for the homeland.