SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: BC Stat Holidays 2026: Dates, Long Weekends & Holiday Pay URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/british-columbia/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 British Columbia stat holidays for 2026 with dates, which days aren't statutory, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # British Columbia Statutory Holidays 2026 British Columbia has 11 statutory holidays in 2026. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in British Columbia | Holiday | Date | Day of week | Substitute day | Type | Paid by law? | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | New Year's Day | 2026-01-01 | Thursday | | Statutory | Required by law | | Family Day | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | Statutory | Required by law | | Good Friday | 2026-04-03 | Friday | | Statutory | Required by law | | Victoria Day | 2026-05-18 | Monday | | Statutory | Required by law | | Canada Day | 2026-07-01 | Wednesday | | Statutory | Required by law | | British Columbia Day | 2026-08-03 | Monday | | Statutory | Required by law | | Labour Day | 2026-09-07 | Monday | | Statutory | Required by law | | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | 2026-09-30 | Wednesday | | Statutory | Required by law | | Thanksgiving | 2026-10-12 | Monday | | Statutory | Required by law | | Remembrance Day | 2026-11-11 | Wednesday | | Statutory | Required by law | | Christmas Day | 2026-12-25 | Friday | | Statutory | Required by law | ## What employers need to know **Who qualifies.** An employee gets statutory holiday pay if they have been employed for 30 calendar days and worked or earned wages on 15 of the 30 days before the holiday. Paid vacation days and other statutory holidays count toward the 15 days. B.C. has no rule requiring the employee to work the day before and the day after the holiday. Some groups are excluded, such as managers, farm workers, fishers and high-tech professionals. **Holiday pay.** Statutory holiday pay is an average day's pay: total wages divided by days worked in the 30 calendar days before the holiday. Total wages include regular wages, salary, commission, statutory holiday pay, paid vacation and paid sick days required by law. Overtime is not included. **Working on a holiday.** A qualifying employee who works the holiday gets an average day's pay plus time-and-a-half for hours worked, rising to double time for hours over 12. An employee who doesn't qualify gets regular pay for working on the holiday. You and the employee can agree in writing to swap in another day, and that day must be treated the same as the statutory holiday. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** If a statutory holiday falls on a regular or scheduled day off, such as a weekend, a qualifying employee is still paid an average day's pay for it. You and the employee can also agree in writing to treat a different day as the holiday. Full rules: British Columbia leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/canada/british-columbia/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in British Columbia. Each one joins a few PTO days to a holiday and a weekend. Take all 14 suggested PTO days and you get **47 days off across 11 breaks**, including 8 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Friday, January 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 1 to 4 (New Year's Day). - Take Friday, February 13 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 13 to 16 (Family Day). - Take Thursday, April 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from April 2 to 5 (Good Friday). - Take Friday, May 15 off to get a 4-day weekend from May 15 to 18 (Victoria Day). - Take Friday, July 31 off to get a 4-day weekend from July 31 to August 3 (British Columbia Day). - Take Friday, September 4 off to get a 4-day weekend from September 4 to 7 (Labour Day). - Take Friday, October 9 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 9 to 12 (Thanksgiving). - Take Thursday, December 24 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 24 to 27 (Christmas Day). - Take Monday, June 29 and Tuesday, June 30 off to get a 5-day break from June 27 to July 1 (Canada Day). - Take Monday, September 28 and Tuesday, September 29 off to get a 5-day break from September 26 to 30 (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation). - Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off to get a 5-day break from November 7 to 11 (Remembrance Day). ## When British Columbia teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most British Columbia employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week - Jul 27 – Aug 2 (Week 31): 2.3× a normal week - Aug 17 – 23 (Week 34): 2.2× a normal week - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 2.1× a normal week - Dec 14 – 20 (Week 51): 1.7× a normal week ## Compare provinces and territories | Province or territory | Statutory holidays in 2026 | Holidays others don't have | |---|---|---| | [Alberta](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/alberta/2026/) | 9 | None | | [British Columbia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/british-columbia/2026/) | 11 | None | | [Manitoba](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/manitoba/2026/) | 9 | None | | [New Brunswick](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/new-brunswick/2026/) | 8 | None | | [Newfoundland and Labrador](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/newfoundland-and-labrador/2026/) | 6 | None | | [Northwest Territories](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/northwest-territories/2026/) | 11 | None | | [Nova Scotia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/nova-scotia/2026/) | 6 | None | | [Nunavut](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/nunavut/2026/) | 11 | Nunavut Day | | [Ontario](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/ontario/2026/) | 9 | Boxing Day | | [Prince Edward Island](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/prince-edward-island/2026/) | 8 | None | | [Quebec](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/quebec/2026/) | 8 | National Holiday | | [Saskatchewan](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/saskatchewan/2026/) | 10 | None | | [Yukon](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/canada/yukon/2026/) | 11 | Discovery Day | ## Frequently asked questions Q: What are the stat holidays in British Columbia in 2026? British Columbia has 11 statutory holidays in 2026: New Year's Day (Thursday, January 1), Family Day (Monday, February 16), Good Friday (Friday, April 3), Victoria Day (Monday, May 18), Canada Day (Wednesday, July 1), British Columbia Day (Monday, August 3), Labour Day (Monday, September 7), National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Wednesday, September 30), Thanksgiving (Monday, October 12), Remembrance Day (Wednesday, November 11) and Christmas Day (Friday, December 25). Boxing Day and Easter Monday are not statutory in British Columbia. Q: Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in British Columbia? No. Boxing Day isn't a statutory holiday in British Columbia, so provincially regulated employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Saturday, December 26. Federally regulated employers, such as banks, airlines and telecoms, must still give it under the Canada Labour Code. Q: Is Easter Monday a stat holiday in British Columbia? No. Easter Monday isn't a statutory holiday in British Columbia, so provincially regulated employers don't have to give it. Q: Is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a stat holiday in British Columbia? Yes. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a statutory holiday in British Columbia. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday, September 30. Q: Is Remembrance Day a stat holiday in British Columbia? Yes. Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in British Columbia. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday, November 11. Q: How is stat holiday pay calculated in British Columbia? Statutory holiday pay is an average day's pay: total wages divided by days worked in the 30 calendar days before the holiday. Total wages include regular wages, salary, commission, statutory holiday pay, paid vacation and paid sick days required by law. Overtime is not included. Q: Who qualifies for stat holiday pay in British Columbia? An employee gets statutory holiday pay if they have been employed for 30 calendar days and worked or earned wages on 15 of the 30 days before the holiday. Paid vacation days and other statutory holidays count toward the 15 days. B.C. has no rule requiring the employee to work the day before and the day after the holiday. Some groups are excluded, such as managers, farm workers, fishers and high-tech professionals. Q: What do employees get for working on a stat holiday in British Columbia? A qualifying employee who works the holiday gets an average day's pay plus time-and-a-half for hours worked, rising to double time for hours over 12. An employee who doesn't qualify gets regular pay for working on the holiday. You and the employee can agree in writing to swap in another day, and that day must be treated the same as the statutory holiday. Q: What happens if a stat holiday falls on a weekend in British Columbia? In 2026, no statutory holiday in British Columbia falls on a weekend. If a statutory holiday falls on a regular or scheduled day off, such as a weekend, a qualifying employee is still paid an average day's pay for it. You and the employee can also agree in writing to treat a different day as the holiday. ## Sources - Statutory holidays - Province of British Columbia (Employment Standards): https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/statutory-holidays Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them. CSV: https://vacationtracker.io/static/data/holiday-pages/canada/british-columbia-holidays-2026.csv