Is today a statutory holiday in Canada?

Federal Holidays, Provincial Rules & Banking Rails

In Canada, statutory public holidays—commonly called 'stat holidays'—are governed under a dual constitutional structure. The federal government establishes 10 general holidays under Part III of the Canada Labour Code, which applies strictly to federally regulated workplaces such as chartered banks, telecommunications carriers, air and marine transport, interprovincial trucking, and the federal civil service.

More than 90% of Canadian workers, however, fall under provincial and territorial employment standards. Each province establishes its own statutory holiday list, meaning an employee in Ontario or Quebec operates under different legal entitlements than an employee in British Columbia or Alberta.

Federal vs. Provincial Discrepancies

Because provincial legislatures define public holidays independently, several major dates differ significantly across borders:

• Remembrance Day (November 11): A statutory holiday under the Canada Labour Code and across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Atlantic Canada. However, under the Ontario Employment Standards Act (ESA), Remembrance Day is not a statutory public holiday.
• Civic Holiday (First Monday in August): Commonly celebrated across Canada as a civic holiday (e.g., Simcoe Day in Toronto, Natal Day in Nova Scotia), but it is not a statutory paid holiday under Ontario's ESA. Paid leave on this day remains a matter of individual employment agreements or company policy.
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30): A statutory general holiday for federally regulated employers and recognized as a statutory holiday in British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. In Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, it is not an official provincial stat holiday for private-sector employers.
• Quebec (Fête nationale): Under Quebec's Act respecting labour standards, June 24 (Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day) is an official statutory holiday, and National Patriots' Day is observed in place of Victoria Day.

Weekend Rollover & In-Lieu Rules

Under Section 193 of the Canada Labour Code, when a fixed-date general holiday (such as New Year's Day, Canada Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, or Boxing Day) falls on a weekend non-working day, employees are entitled to a paid holiday on the working day immediately preceding or following the holiday.

In 2026, Boxing Day (December 26) falls on a Saturday. Under federal personnel guidelines and common provincial practice, the statutory observance transfers to Monday, December 28, 2026, creating an extended four-day holiday weekend following Christmas Day on Friday. In 2027, Christmas Day (Saturday, Dec 25) and Boxing Day (Sunday, Dec 26) shift to Monday, December 27, 2027 and Tuesday, December 28, 2027 for federally regulated workplaces and Ontario ESA employees. Read our complete breakdown of Payments Canada Lynx & ACSS Holiday Rules and Canadian Statutory Holiday Pay (1/20th Rule).

Banking Clearing Rails & Direct Deposit

Wholesale financial settlement in Canada is managed by Payments Canada, which operates Lynx (the high-value real-time gross settlement system) and the Automated Clearing Settlement System (ACSS) for batch retail electronic funds transfers (EFT).

Payments Canada systems do not settle on federal statutory holidays. If a corporate payroll date falls on a statutory holiday, employers and payroll bureaus must submit direct deposit batch files one to two business days earlier to ensure employee accounts credit on time. To verify business day durations around Canadian statutory dates, use the Working Days Calculator.

Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) Market Schedule

The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and TSX Venture Exchange operate an independent trading calendar managed by TMX Group:

• Days TSX Closes: The exchange closes on standard holidays including Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day (observed Monday, December 28, 2026). The TSX also closes for the Civic Holiday in August, even though it is not a statutory holiday under Ontario employment law.
• Days TSX Remains Open: The TSX operates regular trading sessions on Remembrance Day (November 11) and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30), despite commercial bank branches and federal clearinghouses observing closures.

Canada Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Canada, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Canada

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in Canada should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: