Canadian payroll legislation: 2023 statutory holiday schedule
Share this article
There are many reasons why Canadian businesses and payroll practitioners mark their calendars with the upcoming statutory holiday schedule - like adhering to legislated time off for staff, applying holiday pay rates, and knowing if payroll processing dates are altered. These tasks are important in ensuring workforces are paid accurately and on time throughout the year.
We recommend the best practice of processing payroll three business days in advance of employees’ payment dates. When taking weekends and banking holidays into consideration, that could mean processing payroll anywhere from three to even six days in advance of your employees’ payment date.
With that in mind, we've put together a list that displays the statutory holidays in 2023, accompanied by the date of the coinciding banking holiday as well:
Holiday |
Date |
Banking Holiday |
| New Year’s Day | Sunday, January 1, 2023 | Monday, January 2, 2023 (observed) |
| Day After New Year’s (QC) | Monday, January 2, 2023 | Tuesday, January 3, 2023 (observed) |
| Third Monday in February1 | Monday, February 20, 2023 | Monday, February 20, 2023 |
| St. Patrick’s Day (NL) | Friday, March 17, 2023 | Friday, March 17, 2023 |
| Good Friday | Friday, April 7, 2023 | Friday, April 7, 2023 |
| Easter Monday (QC) | Monday, April 10, 2023 | Monday, April 10, 2023 |
| St. George’s Day (NL) | Sunday, April 23, 2023 | Monday, April 24, 2023 (observed) |
| Victoria Day (Patriots’ Day in QC)2 | Monday, May 22, 2023 | Monday, May 22, 2023 |
| National Holiday/Fête Nationale (QC) | Saturday, June 24, 2023 | Monday, June 26, 2023 (observed) |
| Discovery Day (NL) | Monday, June 26, 2023 | Monday, June 26, 2023 |
| Canada Day (Memorial Day in NL) | Saturday, July 1, 2023 | Monday, July 3, 2023 (observed) |
| Nunavut Day (NU) | Sunday, July 9, 2023 | Monday, July 10, 2023 (observed) |
| First Monday in August3 | Monday, August 7, 2023 | Monday, August 7, 2023 |
| Discovery Day (YT) | Monday, August 21, 2023 | Monday, August 21, 2023 |
| Labour Day | Monday, September 4, 2023 | Monday, September 4, 2023 |
| National Day for Truth & Reconciliation4 | Saturday, September 30, 2023 | Monday, October 2, 2023 (observed) |
| Thanksgiving Day2 | Monday, October 9, 2023 | Monday, October 9, 2023 |
| Remembrance Day5 | Saturday, November 11, 2023 | Monday, November 13, 2023 (observed) |
| Christmas Day | Monday, December 25, 2023 | Monday, December 25, 2023 |
| Boxing Day6 | Tuesday, December 26, 2023 | Tuesday, December 26, 2023 |
2. Not a public holiday in PE, NS, NB, and NL.
3. Holiday in BC, SK, NT, NU and NB. This is an optional day at the employer’s discretion in AB, MB, ON, PE, and NS.
4. Statutory holiday in PE, NT, NU, and for workplaces regulated by the Canada Labour Code (for Nunavut, this applies to public services employees and employees of territorially-regulated businesses.
5. Not a statutory holiday in MB, NS, ON, QC. MB and NS are governed by their respective Remembrance Day Acts.
6. Statutory holiday in Ontario and for workplaces regulated by the Canada Labour Code. Banking holiday in all jurisdictions.
For more information on Canadian payroll legislation, download our free Payroll Guide: https://info.payworks.ca/en-ca/payroll-guide-for-canadian-business.
