Canada Statutory Holidays in 2027: Federal Dates & Provincial Differences Newcomers Should Know

Photo by Bogdan Krupin on Pexels. Taken in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Canada · Statutory holidays 2027 · Last verified October 1, 2026

Canada does not have one statutory-holiday list that applies identically to every worker. Federally regulated employees have 10 general holidays under the Canada Labour Code, while provincial employment standards use their own holiday lists and pay rules.

First question: is your job federally or provincially regulated?

The federal 10-holiday list applies to employees covered by the Canada Labour Code. Most other workers follow the employment-standards law of the province or territory where they work.

This distinction matters because a date that is a paid general holiday for a federally regulated employee may not be a statutory holiday for a provincially regulated worker in the same city — and vice versa.

Federal weekend rule matters in December 2027

Christmas Day falls on Saturday 25 December 2027 and Boxing Day on Sunday 26 December.

For federally regulated employees, Canada.ca says that when specified general holidays such as Christmas or Boxing Day fall on a Saturday or Sunday that is not a scheduled workday, the employee is entitled to a paid holiday on the scheduled workday immediately before or after the holiday. Employers can also use permitted substitution arrangements.

Provincial weekend/substitute-day rules are not identical, so do not automatically apply this federal rule to every Canadian job.

Ontario: 9 public holidays

Ontario’s Employment Standards Act recognises nine public holidays:

• New Year’s Day — January 1, 2027
• Family Day — February 15
• Good Friday — March 26
• Victoria Day — May 24
• Canada Day — July 1
• Labour Day — September 6
• Thanksgiving Day — October 11
• Christmas Day — December 25
• Boxing Day — December 26

Remembrance Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation are not part of Ontario’s nine ESA public holidays. Individual employers or collective agreements can provide additional days.

Alberta: 9 general holidays

Alberta’s official 2027 list contains nine general holidays:

• New Year’s Day — January 1
• Alberta Family Day — February 15
• Good Friday — March 26
• Victoria Day — May 24
• Canada Day — July 1
• Labour Day — September 6
• Thanksgiving Day — October 11
• Remembrance Day — November 11
• Christmas Day — December 25

Alberta currently lists Easter Monday, Heritage Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Boxing Day as common optional holidays rather than default general holidays. An employer can choose to recognise additional days.

British Columbia: 11 statutory holidays

B.C.’s employment standards currently recognise 11 statutory holidays. The official 2027 dates include:

• New Year’s Day — January 1
• Family Day — February 15
• Good Friday — March 26
• Victoria Day — May 24
• Canada Day — July 1
• B.C. Day — August 2
• Labour Day — September 6
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — September 30
• Thanksgiving Day — October 11
• Remembrance Day — November 11
• Christmas Day — December 25

Boxing Day and Easter Monday are not statutory holidays under B.C.’s general Employment Standards Act holiday list.

Québec: 8 statutory holidays

CNESST currently lists eight paid statutory holidays in Québec:

• New Year’s Day — January 1
• Good Friday or Easter Monday — employer’s choice (March 26 or March 29 in 2027)
• National Patriots’ Day — May 24
• Québec National Holiday — June 24
• Canada Day — July 1
• Labour Day — September 6
• Thanksgiving — October 11
• Christmas Day — December 25

CNESST explicitly says that September 30 (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) and November 11 (Remembrance Day) are not Québec statutory holidays under the general provincial rules.

Why the lists differ

Employment standards are largely provincial/territorial, while federally regulated workplaces follow federal labour standards. Provinces also recognise local holidays such as Family Day, B.C. Day, Québec’s National Holiday or Remembrance Day differently.

That means “Canada has X stat holidays” is incomplete unless the speaker also says which jurisdiction.

Do you always get the day off?

Even when a date is a statutory/general holiday, the rules may allow or require work in certain situations, with holiday pay, premium pay or a substitute day depending on the jurisdiction and industry.

For example, federally regulated employees who are required to work on a general holiday are generally entitled to holiday pay plus at least 1.5 times their regular wage for the hours worked, subject to special rules for managers, professionals and continuous operations.

Newcomer checklist

• Identify whether your employer is federally or provincially regulated.
• Check the holiday list for the province/territory where you work.
• Read your employment contract and collective agreement if applicable.
• Check qualification rules for holiday pay.
• Do not assume September 30 or November 11 is statutory everywhere.
• Check substitute-day rules when a holiday falls on a weekend.
• If planning travel, confirm your employer’s actual closure schedule rather than only the statutory calendar.

Official sources checked

• Government of Canada — Federal general holidays
• Ontario — Public holidays
• Alberta — General holidays
• British Columbia — Statutory holidays
• Québec CNESST — Statutory holidays

Verification date: October 1, 2026. This guide highlights federal rules and Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and Québec. Other provinces/territories have their own holiday lists and qualification/pay rules.

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