Do Canadians get a Holiday to Mourn the Queen? It Depends
While Sept. 19 is a holiday for federal employees, most workplaces are regulated by the provinces.
The federal government has announced that Sept. 19, the date of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, will be a holiday for federal government employees. It’s up to the provinces to decide whether anyone else gets the day off.
Ottawa did not extend the holiday requirement to federally regulated industries, such as banks and airlines. Those industries may follow the government’s lead but won’t be forced to.
The Canadian Bankers Association says the country’s banks will observe a moment of silence on Monday but will remain open for normal business.
Provincial governments regulate about 85 to 90 per cent of workers in Canada. Here is how each province has decided to mark the Queen’s funeral.
CBC will have live televised coverage on Monday on CBC News Network, CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBCNews.ca and the CBC News app, as well as audio coverage on CBC Radio and the CBC Listen app.
Live coverage will get underway on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Gem and CBCNews.ca at at 5 a.m. ET on Monday. CBC Radio One will air special coverage of the Queen’s funeral starting at 5:30 a.m. ET, which will also be available on the CBC Listen app.
Newfoundland and Labrador
The Newfoundland and Labrador government has declared Monday a one-off provincial holiday in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.
Provincial government offices and schools will close. Other businesses and organizations will not be required to close or to treat the day as a paid holiday.
“Businesses and other organizations in the province are encouraged to commemorate Her Majesty in a manner that works best for them,” said a government news release.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia will recognize Sept. 19 as a provincial holiday.
Government offices and schools will be closed but health care services will continue.
A multi-faith memorial service will be held at the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Halifax at 2 p.m. local time. It will be livestreamed on the provincial government’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick will have a temporary provincial holiday to mark the Queen’s funeral. Government offices and schools will be closed for the day.
Books of condolence are available for members of the public to sign at Government House and at the legislature in Fredericton. Signatures are also being accepted online.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island will mark Sept. 19 as a statutory holiday for all provincially regulated workers, the government announced on Tuesday.
All government offices and schools will be closed.
A ceremony will be held at St. Peter’s Cathedral Church in Charlottetown at 2 p.m. local time and will be livestreamed online.
Quebec
Quebec Premier François Legault said the province will have a day of commemoration but won’t have a public holiday.
Ontario
Ontario will not be having a statutory holiday but will mark the date as a “day of mourning,” according to Premier Doug Ford’s office.
“This will give all Ontarians an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable life of Queen Elizabeth II and her unrelenting commitment to service and duty. It also allows students to be in school learning about the many contributions the Queen made to the people of Ontario,” Ford’s spokesperson Ivana Yelich said in a statement to CBC.
Ontario residents are being encouraged to observe a moment of silence at 1 p.m. ET on the day of the funeral.
Manitoba
Manitoba won’t have a statutory holiday and will instead have a “day of mourning,” a government news release said.
Non-essential government offices will be closed. Schools will remain open but classes are being encouraged to observe a moment of silence.
A 21-gun-salute will take place at the provincial legislature, followed by the firing of 96 rounds to represent each year of the Queen’s life.
A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Anglican Cathedral in Winnipeg at 7 p.m. local time.
Books of condolences are available at city halls in Winnipeg, Brandon, Steinbach and Thompson.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan will not be having a statutory holiday to mark the Queen’s funeral.
Instead, the province will have “a day in tribute and commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II,” a government news release said.
A memorial service will be held at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Regina at 7 p.m. local time.
Books of condolences will be available for the public to sign at the provincial legislature, Regina and Saskatoon city halls and online at the lieutenant governor’s website.
Alberta
Alberta has declared a “provincial day of mourning’ to mark the Queen’s funeral. It won’t be an official holiday.
An outdoor ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at the legislature building in Edmonton. It will begin with a moment of silence.
Schools and workplaces are being encouraged to take part in their own moments of silence and make other accommodations for employees who want to mark the passing of Her Majesty, a government news release said.
Books of condolences are available to sign at the legislature and other provincial buildings, as well as online.
British Columbia
The B.C. government says it will recognize the federal holiday and give government employees the day off.
Private sector employers are encouraged to mark the day in a way that is “appropriate for their employees,” a government release said.
All schools in the province will be closed.
Northwest Territories
School will still be in session, territorial government offices will still be open and business will continue as normal for most employees in the N.W.T. on Monday.
In a statement, N.W.T. Premier Caroline Cochrane said the territory’s public service is “much broader” than other areas of the country.
“Providing an additional holiday at this short notice would have far-reaching service delivery implications,” she said.
Cochrane said there would be a memorial event at the Legislative Assembly on Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. local time.
Yukon
The Yukon government said it will observe a one-time holiday for public sector employees on Monday.
Schools and government offices will be closed. Private sector employers are encouraged to observe the day in a way “suitable for their employees and operations,” a government news release said.
The national commemorative ceremony will be screened at the Jim Smith Building foyer in Whitehorse at 8 a.m. local time. A book of condolences will be available for signing.
With files from The Canadian Press
