Statutory Holidays in Canada 2026: Check Holiday Pay and Plan Your Time Away
In 2026, employees are entitled to between 6 and 11 statutory holidays in Canada, depending on their workplace and province or territory.
However, receiving a paid day off isn’t automatic. Your entitlement depends on your governing jurisdiction’s specific rules, which may consider factors like your industry, length of service, or shifts worked around the holiday.
To help you navigate these requirements, this guide walks you through each step, from identifying which holiday calendar governs your job and confirming your eligibility, to understanding your pay and building a solid time-off plan before booking travel.
Four-step quick route:
- Step 1: Find your holiday
- Step 2: Check your entitlement
- Step 3: Match it to your schedule
- Step 4: Build your time-off plan
Which Statutory Holidays Apply to You?
The holiday calendar that governs your workplace depends on whether your employer is federally regulated or provincially and territorially regulated. This is the first question to answer before relying on any list of dates.
Federal Rules Apply to You If You Work In:
- Banks and federal credit unions are chartered under federal legislation.
- Transportation that crosses borders includes airlines, airports, railways, interprovincial trucking, and international shipping or ferry services.
- Telecommunications and Broadcasting, such as telephone, internet, cable, radio, and television companies.
- Specific federal Crown corporations and agencies, such as Canada Post, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the Bank of Canada.
- Other federally regulated sectors, such as First Nations band councils, uranium mining, grain elevators, and interprovincial or international courier services.
Source: List of federally regulated industries and workplaces – Canada.ca.
Provincial and Territorial Rules Usually Apply to Everyone Else
If your job isn’t covered by federal rules, the employment standards in your province or territory usually apply, unless there are specific exclusions or special rules for certain jobs.
This distinction is crucial. For example, an employee at a bank in Toronto is federally regulated, while Ontario’s provincial laws govern a person working for an accounting firm across the street.
Statutory Holidays in Canada: 2026 and 2027 Dates
Start with the rules for your workplace. If your job is federally regulated, use the federal row below. Otherwise, find the province or territory whose employment standards apply to your job.
Five holiday occasions recur across the federal, provincial and territorial calendars:
- New Year’s Day: January 1, 2026; January 1, 2027
- Good Friday: April 3, 2026, and March 26, 2027. In Québec, employers choose Good Friday or Easter Monday: April 6, 2026, and March 29, 2027.
- Canada Day: July 1 in both years. In Newfoundland and Labrador, July 1 is also Memorial Day.
- Labour Day: September 7, 2026; September 6, 2027
- Christmas Day: December 25 in both years. In 2027, it falls on a Saturday.
To find your full holiday list, add the holidays in your jurisdiction’s rows below to the five occasions above. Then check the linked jurisdiction guide to see whether you qualify, whether you may be scheduled to work, and what happens if a holiday falls on your usual day off.
| Jurisdiction | Additional holiday | 2026 date | 2027 date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Statutory Holidays (10 total holidays) | Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | September 30 | September 30 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 | |
| Boxing Day | December 26 (Saturday) | December 26 (Sunday) | |
| Alberta Statutory Holidays (9 total holidays) | Alberta Family Day | February 16 | February 15 |
| Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 | |
| British Columbia Statutory Holidays (11 total holidays) | Family Day | February 16 | February 15 |
| Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 | |
| B.C. Day (Civic Holiday) | August 3 | August 2 | |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | September 30 | September 30 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 | |
| Manitoba Statutory Holidays (9 total holidays) | Louis Riel Day | February 16 | February 15 |
| Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 | |
| Orange Shirt Day (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) | September 30 | September 30 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| New Brunswick Statutory Holidays (8 total holidays) | Family Day | February 16 | February 15 |
| New Brunswick Day | August 3 | August 2 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador Statutory Holidays (6 total holidays) | Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 |
| Nova Scotia Statutory Holidays (6 total holidays) | Nova Scotia Heritage Day | February 16 | February 15 |
| Ontario Statutory Holidays (9 total holidays) | Family Day | February 16 | February 15 |
| Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Boxing Day | December 26 (Saturday) | December 26 (Sunday) | |
| Prince Edward Island Statutory Holidays (8 total holidays) | Islander Day | February 16 | February 15 |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | September 30 | September 30 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 | |
| Québec Statutory Holidays (8 total holidays) | National Patriots’ Day | May 18 | May 24 |
| Québec National Holiday | June 24 | June 24 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Saskatchewan Statutory Holidays (10 total holidays) | Family Day | February 16 | February 15 |
| Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 | |
| Saskatchewan Day | August 3 | August 2 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 | |
| Northwest Territories Statutory Holidays (11 total holidays) | Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 |
| National Indigenous Peoples Day | June 21 (Sunday) | June 21 (Monday) | |
| First Monday in August | August 3 | August 2 | |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | September 30 | September 30 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 | |
| Nunavut Statutory Holidays (11 total holidays) | Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 |
| Nunavut Day | July 9 | July 9 | |
| First Monday in August | August 3 | August 2 | |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | September 30 | September 30 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 | |
| Yukon Statutory Holidays (11 total holidays) | Victoria Day | May 18 | May 24 |
| National Indigenous Peoples Day | June 21 (Sunday) | June 21 (Monday) | |
| Discovery Day | August 17 | August 16 | |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | September 30 | September 30 | |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 12 | October 11 | |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 | November 11 |
Important: The statutory holiday date isn’t always your actual day off. Don’t assume the following Monday is automatically a day off for holidays like Boxing Day in 2026 or 2027.
Other days off may apply. Your workplace policy or collective agreement may provide additional paid holidays. Business-closure rules and public-service calendars may also differ from this employee holiday list. For example, New Brunswick has prescribed days of rest beyond its eight paid public holidays, while Manitoba and Nova Scotia address Remembrance Day under separate rules.
Will You Receive Statutory Holiday Pay?
Whether you receive statutory holiday pay in Canada depends on meeting the specific eligibility test in your jurisdiction. Because these rules are not the same across Canada, you cannot apply one province’s regulations universally to determine your eligibility.
- Federally regulated workplace: No 12-week service requirement applies. The 12-week threshold changes the holiday-pay calculation for some commission-paid employees. Special arrangements apply in certain continuous operations. (The Labour Bulletin)
- Ontario: You qualify regardless of tenure, provided you work your regularly scheduled shifts before and after the holiday, and any agreed holiday shift, unless you have reasonable cause for absence. (ontario.ca)
- British Columbia: You generally need both 30 calendar days of employment before the holiday and 15 days worked or earning wages in the 30 calendar days before it. A qualifying averaging agreement can satisfy the second condition. (www2.gov.bc.ca)
- Alberta: You need 30 workdays with the same employer in the 12 months before the holiday. You lose eligibility if you have unapproved absences on shifts immediately before, after, or during the holiday, or if it falls on a non-regular workday that you do not work. (Alberta.ca )
- Manitoba: Full-time, part-time and newly hired employees generally qualify. You can lose holiday pay if you miss your last scheduled workday before or first scheduled workday after the holiday without your employer’s permission, or fail to report for a scheduled holiday shift. (Manitoba.ca)
- Québec: Full-time and part-time employees generally qualify. You must not miss the working day before or after the holiday without your employer’s authorization or a valid reason beyond your control. June 24 has separate rules. (CNESST)
Working elsewhere? Use the jurisdiction guide linked from the holiday-date table above for your local eligibility test.
What Happens on Your Actual Work Schedule?
A holiday gives you usable time away only when you know which shift you will miss and why you will not have to work it. Start with the holiday date and your posted schedule, then follow the situation that matches yours.
If you normally work that day and have it off
Count the holiday as a day away from work if you qualify, and your schedule confirms you are off. Do not request vacation for that day. To extend the break, request vacation for the scheduled workdays beside it.
If you are scheduled to work the holiday
Keep the holiday in your plan as a workday. Extra pay does not create time off. If your arrangement provides another paid day off, add it to your trip only after its date is confirmed.
If the holiday falls on your usual day off
You have not gained another day away merely because the calendar shows a holiday. Check what your jurisdiction provides:
- Ontario: An eligible employee generally receives a substitute working day off with public holiday pay, unless they agree electronically or in writing to receive holiday pay without the substitute day.
- British Columbia: An eligible employee receives statutory holiday pay, but the employer is not required to provide another day off solely because the holiday fell on a day off.
- Alberta: If it is not your regular workday and you do not work the holiday, you generally receive neither holiday pay nor a paid day in lieu.
Note: Plan with the actual date of any substitute or observed day, not an assumed Monday off.
If the holiday falls during approved vacation
Check how the holiday and vacation are recorded before assuming your trip has gained a day:
- Ontario: An eligible employee generally receives a substitute working day off with public holiday pay. They may instead agree electronically or in writing to receive holiday pay without a substitute day.
- British Columbia: An eligible employee’s vacation time or pay should not be reduced because a statutory holiday occurs during vacation. This does not automatically change your return date.
- Federally regulated workplace: Your vacation may be extended by a day for a general holiday that occurs during it, with the applicable holiday wages paid in addition to vacation pay. Confirm the resulting dates.
For another jurisdiction, use its guide linked in the holiday-date table. Check your vacation balance after the holiday to make sure the agreed treatment was recorded.
If your roster has not been posted
You can draft a rough plan for time off, but don’t count those holiday dates as final yet. Note your expected shifts, request vacation days, and adjust when the schedule is released.
Count Your Actual Time Away
Write down four separate numbers:
- Scheduled shifts you will miss because of the holiday or an approved substitute day.
- Vacation days you need approved to extend the break.
- Regular days off that fall between those dates.
- Total consecutive calendar days away, from your final shift before the break to your first shift after it.
For example, if you normally work Monday to Friday and have a confirmed Monday holiday off, approved vacation on the preceding Friday and following Tuesday gives you five consecutive calendar days away using two vacation days. Until those vacation dates are approved, the five-day break is only a proposal.
Your planning result: Mark the break “confirmed” only when the holiday treatment, roster, and adjoining vacation dates are settled. Otherwise, mark the dates as still pending before you book.
What Will You Be Paid for the Holiday?
Determine if you are working or off, then estimate your pay accordingly. Holiday pay varies by jurisdiction and depends on whether you work that day or take it off. Here is what applies:
You Have the Holiday Off
If you qualify, check the holiday-pay formula for your jurisdiction. It may be less or more than your usual day’s wages if your hours or earnings vary.
- Ontario: Add your regular wages earned and vacation pay payable in the four workweeks before the workweek containing the holiday. Divide by 20.
- British Columbia: Add the qualifying wages earned in the 30 calendar days before the holiday, excluding overtime. Divide by the number of days you worked or earned wages in that period.
- Federally regulated workplace: For most employees, take 1/20 of wages earned, excluding overtime, in the four weeks before the week of the holiday. A different calculation applies to some commission-paid employees and other special arrangements.
To estimate your pay: Check the relevant dates on your recent pay records, total your earnings as per your jurisdiction, and use the appropriate formula. Remember, “paid holiday” doesn’t always equal 8 hours at your usual rate.
You Work on the Holiday
The hours you work remain on your schedule. Additional pay or another day off depends on your jurisdiction and the applicable arrangement.
- Ontario: An eligible employee who agrees to work may receive public holiday pay + premium pay of 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked, or regular wages for hours worked plus a substitute day off with public holiday pay. Agreement requirements and special rules for certain workplaces matter.
- British Columbia: An eligible employee receives an average day’s pay, plus 1.5 times the regular wage for the first 12 hours worked and twice the regular wage for hours beyond 12.
- Federally regulated workplace: The usual rule for an eligible employee required to work is general holiday pay plus at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked. Different arrangements apply to managers, professionals and some continuous operations.
Compare the expected amount with your pay stub after the holiday. If your arrangement includes another day off, confirm that day’s date separately using the schedule section above.
What Should Employees Verify After the Holiday Payroll Runs?
Once the pay statement is available, compare it with your schedule, the applicable holiday-pay rule and any approved vacation or substitute day.
Check gross holiday pay first
Compare the total amount you received with the calculations needed in your area. Deductions like income tax, Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan contributions, Employment Insurance (EI) premiums, and any other applicable deductions can affect the amount you take home. So a lower take-home amount doesn’t necessarily mean holiday pay was calculated incorrectly.
If gross pay is correct but the net amount is unexpected, ask payroll to explain the deduction lines before treating the difference as a holiday-pay error.
Check EI insurable earnings and hours separately
Holiday pay may be included in insurable earnings.
- If you don’t work on a paid holiday, your usual hours are typically insurable.
- If you work on a statutory holiday, the insurable hours reported on a Record of Employment are generally the greater of the hours you actually worked and the hours you would normally have worked.
Check the applicable payroll and ROE treatment for your situation.
If the employee worked the holiday, check the applicable compensation
Depending on the jurisdiction and arrangement, this may involve holiday pay and premium pay, or regular wages and a paid substitute day.
If the holiday fell during vacation, check both records
Compare the vacation balance and holiday treatment with your jurisdiction’s rules. Ask payroll to correct an entry that reduced vacation entitlement or omitted holiday pay or a substitute day that was owed.
Check benefit contributions if the pay period had insufficient earnings
A statutory holiday alone does not determine group coverage. If the usual employee premium could not be deducted, ask the plan administrator how contributions will be collected and whether the plan requires any action.
What Should You Confirm After Payday?
After payday, you should confirm that your pay statement and vacation balance accurately reflect your expected holiday pay, holiday-work hours, recorded substitute days off, and approved vacation deductions against the plan you saved.
- Holiday pay inclusion: Whether holiday pay was included or properly accounted for through your regular salary.
- Hours and additional pay: If you worked on the holiday, confirm that your work hours and any additional pay were recorded correctly.
- Substitute day off: Verify that a substitute day was recorded if that was your agreed arrangement.
- Vacation deductions: Ensure that only your officially approved vacation days were deducted from your balance.
If you spot an error on your pay statement, take the following steps to address it with your employer:
- Document the discrepancy: Write down exactly what you expected versus what your pay statement shows, noting the specific amount or date in question.
- Submit your records: Send this comparison to your employer or payroll team along with your relevant roster and time-off approvals.
- Ask for clarification: Request that they clarify which eligibility rule, earnings period, and pay calculation formula they applied to your pay.
If the issue remains unresolved, contact your provincial employment standards authority, the federal Labour Program, or your union. Be sure to keep copies of all related pay statements, schedules, and correspondence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Statutory Holidays in Canada
Can I request time off for a religious holiday that is not statutory?
Yes. Inform your employer of the time you need and ask about available accommodations, like adjusting your schedule, taking paid leave, or other options. The outcome will vary based on your situation and workplace human rights policies.
What if a holiday falls on my usual payday?
Check when the deposit and pay statement will be available, especially before relying on that pay for travel expenses. If your wages arrive later than your usual payday, ask payroll why and check the payment-of-wages rule in your jurisdiction.
Do I get statutory holiday pay if I am on maternity leave, sick leave, or temporary layoff?
Holiday pay laws vary by province in Canada. Some provinces calculate it based on wages from the weeks before the holiday, so that a long-term unpaid leave could mean no holiday pay. There is no national rule, and specifics like eligibility and exemptions differ, so consult your local employment standards for accurate information.
Are student or seasonal workers eligible for statutory holidays if they only work for the summer?
Eligibility depends on province rules. Being a student or seasonal worker doesn’t automatically disqualify someone, but factors like occupation and service requirements may apply.
Can I request vacation days immediately before or after a statutory holiday?
Yes, you can request adjoining vacation days to create a longer break. However, those vacation days are subject to your employer’s vacation scheduling rules and must be formally approved.
