Stat holiday legislation roundup: Canada Day

Pop quiz: when we say “Canada Day,” is your first thought of beaches, BBQs and bonfires… or is it of staff scheduling and pay rates? If the latter – it sounds like you’ve got a team to manage, and that you’re in the right place!

What is Canada Day?

Generally, Canada Day takes place on July 1; however, in years when that date falls on Sunday, the statutory holiday is to be observed on July 2, according to Canada’s Holidays Act.

Like all stat holidays, Canada Day is subject to specific banking and payroll legislation, which can differ between jurisdictions throughout the country. So while Canada Day is one of the five stat holidays recognized in all provinces and territories, there are still bank closures, payroll-processing schedule changes, and general holiday pay for Canadian employers to navigate based on where they and their employees are located.

Let’s take a closer look at the legislation for this stat holiday by province and territory…

British Columbia (BC)

Canada Day is a stat holiday in BC, where eligible employees are entitled to stat pay whether they work on July 1 or not. For more information on stat holidays in BC, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/statutory-holidays.

Alberta

Canada Day is one of Alberta’s general holidays. Eligible employees are to be paid for working on or in lieu of this day. For more information on general holidays in Alberta, visit: https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-general-holidays#general-holidays.

Saskatchewan

Canada Day is a public holiday in Saskatchewan. Businesses can close, with the eligible employees receiving the day off with pay, or they can remain open, with employees who work receiving pay for working a public holiday. For more information on public holidays in Saskatchewan, visit: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/employment-standards/public-statutory-holidays/list-of-saskatchewan-public-holidays.

Manitoba

In Manitoba, Canada Day is a general holiday. Typically, most employees will receive general holiday pay whether or not they’re working. For more information on general holidays in Manitoba, visit: https://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards/doc,gen-holidays-after-april-30-07,factsheet.html#q12.

Ontario

Canada Day is a public holiday in Ontario. Generally, eligible employees receive the day off and paid public holiday pay. For more information on public holidays in Ontario, visit: https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/public-holidays.

Québec

Canada Day is a paid stat holiday in Québec. Eligible employees are entitled to receive the day off and an indemnity. For more information about stat holidays in Québec, visit: https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/en/working-conditions/leave/statutory-holidays/list-paid-statutory-holidays.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Canada Day is more commonly known as Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is a public holiday. What employees are entitled to receive depends on which of the two different employee eligibility requirements they meet. For more information on public holidays in Newfoundland, visit: https://www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/files/Publications_Labour_Relations_At_Work_Updates_October-2022.pdf.

New Brunswick

Canada Day is a paid public holiday in New Brunswick. For more information about paid public holidays in New Brunswick, visit: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/petl-epft/PDF/es/FactSheets/PublicHolidaysVacation.pdf.

Nova Scotia

Canada Day is an observed paid holiday in Nova Scotia. For more information on paid holidays in Nova Scotia, visit: https://novascotia.ca/lae/employmentrights/holidaychart.asp.

Prince Edward Island (PEI)

Canada Day is one of PEI’s paid holidays. For more information on paid holidays in PEI, visit: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/workforce-advanced-learning-and-population/paid-holidays.

Yukon

Canada Day is one of the Yukon’s stat holidays. Eligible employees receive a day off with holiday pay. For more information on stat holidays in the Yukon, visit: https://yukon.ca/en/find-yukon-statutory-holiday.

Northwest Territories

In the Northwest Territories, Canada Day is a stat holiday. For more information on stat holidays in the Northwest Territories, visit: https://my.hr.gov.nt.ca/employees/leave-time/statutory-holidays.

Nunavut

Canada Day is a general holiday in Nunavut. For more information on the territory’s general holidays, visit: https://www.nu-lsco.ca/faq-s.

We hope you found this consolidated roundup of Canada Day stat holiday legislation helpful. For peace of mind that your staff are being paid accurately and your payroll is compliant, you can stay up-to-date year-round by downloading the Payworks Payroll Guide. It’s a handy resource to assist Canadian businesses in navigating federal and provincial holidays, bank closures, and other important payroll legislation: https://www.payworks.ca/landing-pages/campaigns/payroll-guide.