Canadian stat holidays are public holidays legislated at a federal or provincial level and most workers are entitled to a paid day off
Public holidays in Canada are known as general holidays, statutory holidays, stat holidays, or stats. In Canada, holidays exist on the federal level, but each province and territory have the jurisdiction to adapt these federal holidays and to add their own regional holidays.
Canadian stat holidays can differ from province to province, with some provinces opting out of national statutory holidays and others observing their own unique holidays.
What are the national and federal stat holidays in Canada?
There are 5 national stat holidays: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, and Christmas Day.
In Quebec, employers provide Easter Monday as a statutory holiday instead of Good Friday. In Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Day is known as Memorial Day.
There are 10 paid federal stat holidays in Canada: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
When a statutory holiday falls on a weekend, it is typically observed on the following Monday. However, in 2024, no stat holidays fall on a weekend.
For “everything you need to know” about stat holidays in Canada, check here.
2024 statutory holidays by date
|
Date |
Jurisdiction |
Holiday |
|
Monday, Jan. 1 |
All |
New Year’s Day |
|
Monday, Feb. 19 |
BC, AB, SK, ON, NB, NS, MB, PEI |
Family Day (BC, AB, SK, ON, NB) Louis Riel Day (MB) Heritage Day (NS) Islander Day (PEI) |
|
Friday, Mar. 19 |
All except Québec |
Good Friday |
|
Monday, April 1 |
Québec |
Easter Monday |
|
Monday, May 20 |
All but NS, NL |
Victoria Day (YK, BC, AB, NT, NU, SK, MB, ON, PEI) Patriots’ Day (Québec) |
|
Friday, June 21 |
NW Territories & Yukon |
National Indigenous Peoples Day |
|
Monday, June 24 |
Québec |
St. Jean Baptiste Day |
|
Monday, July 1 |
All |
Canada Day |
|
Tuesday, July 9 |
Nunavut |
Nunavut Day |
|
Monday, Aug. 5 |
NT, NU, BC, AB, NB, SK, ON
(Widely recognized in ON but not statutorily required) |
Civic Holiday (NT, NU, ON) Heritage Day (AB) BC Day (BC) Saskatchewan Day (SK) New Brunswick Day (NB) |
|
Monday Aug. 19 |
Yukon |
Discovery Day |
|
Monday, Sept. 2 |
All |
Labour Day |
|
Monday, Sept. 30 |
FED, PEI, NT, NU, YK, BC |
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation |
|
Monday, Oct. 14 |
All except NB, NL, NS, PE |
Thanksgiving Day |
|
Monday, Nov. 11 |
All except MB, ON, QC, NS |
Remembrance Day |
|
Wednesday, Dec. 25 |
All |
Christmas Day |
|
Thursday, Dec. 26 |
Ontario, Nova Scotia
(In Nova Scotia, Boxing Day is a retail closing day but not a statutory holiday) |
Boxing Day |
Do Canadians get paid on stat holidays?
All Canadians are entitled to paid time off on New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, and Christmas Day, regardless of if they’re a federal employee or non-federal employee. Federal employees are also entitled to the following as days off with pay: Easter Monday, Victoria Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving, and Boxing Day. Non-federal employers are not required to provide these holidays off.
If an employee is required to work on a statutory holiday, employers must comply with regulations concerning payment. Those who are entitled to statutory holiday pay and are asked to work on a stat holiday, must be paid a minimum of 1.5 times the regular rate of wages for the time worked on that day. Managers and professionals who are required to work on a stat holiday are entitled to their standard rate of pay but must receive an additional holiday with pay.
If an employer does not calculate wages on a daily, hourly, or time basis, they must pay the employee the average of their wages earned for the 20 days worked immediately preceding the stat holiday, excluding any overtime pay. The employer must also pay the regular rate of wages in addition to the holiday pay for that day.
