[Expert Hours] Join us on March 20th: Maximize Time Off While Ensuring Legal Compliance Register Now

Table Of Contents

Holidays in Canada in Honor of Queen Elizabeth II

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Table Of Contents

A national day of mourning will take place at the same time as the Queen’s funeral in London, as Canadians from everywhere will come together to pay their respects to the longest reigning monarch in Britain. 

“We have also chosen to move forward with a federal holiday on Monday. We will be working with the provinces and the territories to try and see that we’re aligned on this. There are still a few details to be worked out, but declaring an opportunity for Canadians to mourn on Monday is going to be important,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Tuesday.

Moving forward, September 19 will be a bank holiday in the U.K. Other commonwealth countries such as Australia and New Zealand have also announced holidays to honor the late Queen. 

Schools and businesses in Australia are expected to be closed on September 22 in honor of the Queen. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth will be honored on September 26. Despite Trudeau’s announcement that Monday would be a federal holiday, which normally applies to government employees, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan later tweeted that not all federally regulated workers will get the day off. He said it would be for “federal government employees only.”

Trudeau also said that it will be up to the provinces whether they choose to observe the federal holiday. That being said, here’s a breakdown of how different provinces across Canada will be affected.

British Columbia

To mark the Queen’s funeral, British Columbia is following the federal government’s lead and observing a national day of mourning.

“K-12 public schools and public post-secondary institutions, and most Crown corporations will be closed,” said B.C. Premier John Horgan in a statement

Ontario

Ontario will not have a provincial holiday.

Rather than having a national day of mourning, Premier Doug Ford has announced that Ontario will hold a moment of silence at 1 p.m. on Sept. 19 when the Queen’s state funeral will be held in London.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island officials have confirmed that workers in the province will get a one-time statutory holiday.

Quebec

Quebec has announced that workers in the province will not get a day off. Premier François Legault said that a provincial holiday will not be implemented shortly after the Trudeau announcement. 

Nova Scotia

As stated in a press release, Nova Scotia will also mark September 19 as a provincial holiday in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. 

Government offices, public schools, and regulated child care facilities in Nova Scotia will be closed, but healthcare services, appointments, and procedures will remain open in place.

Alberta

A provincial day of mourning will be observed in Alberta on Monday, but it will not be a statutory holiday. There will also be an outdoor ceremony and moment of silence at 10 a.m. in front of the legislature on Monday.

“Workplaces, schools, offices, and retail stores are encouraged to also observe the moment of silence,” a news release from the province said on Wednesday.

Manitoba

According to a news release from the Government of Manitoba, all non-essential government services and offices will be closed in Manitoba on September 19.

However, schools, child-care facilities, and health care facilities will remain open. Premier Heather Stefanson also encouraged all schools to observe a moment of silence on the day.

New Brunswick

A press release states that New Brunswick will also be closing its government offices and schools “to mark the passing of the Queen.”

Newfoundland and Labrador

Government officials announced on Twitter that September 19 is a day to “honor the memory of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.”

This will also be a one-time-only holiday. Provincial government offices, schools, and other entities will be closed. The holiday will remain optional for private businesses and employers.

Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan provincial government’s press release has proclaimed September 19 to be a day to honor the Queen. However, it has not been designated as a provincial public statutory holiday. The province will instead pay tribute to the Queen with a memorial service held in Regina.

Yukon

A press release by the Government of Yukon announced on Wednesday that the territory will observe a one-time day of mourning for the Queen. Public schools and other public-facing services will be closed on September 19.

Snigdha Gupta
Snigdha Gupta

An avid writer and aspiring marketer, Snigdha is a student at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business.

3 Best Tracksmart Alternative Software

3 Best Tracksmart Alternative Software

Read more
Guide to Implementing a Mandatory Vacation Policy in Your Company

Guide to Implementing a Mandatory Vacation Policy in Your Company

Read more
Creating a Fair and Effective PTO Buyback Policy for Your Company

Creating a Fair and Effective PTO Buyback Policy for Your Company

Read more

Do you want to simplify PTO tracking?

Schedule a free consultation with our team to learn how Vacation Tracker can help you.

Request a demo