Canada Stat Holiday 2025: Complete Guide to Public Holiday and Date

There’s something satisfying about flipping to a new calendar year and knowing exactly which days you can mark as time off. For Canadians, 2025 brings a familiar rhythm of statutory holidays, though some days are more guaranteed than others depending on where you live and who you work for. This guide walks through every federal and provincial statutory holiday in Canada for 2025, with dates, regional quirks, and what you actually get – because not every holiday on the calendar is a day off for every worker.

Federal statutory holidays in Canada: 5 (New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, Christmas Day) ·
Provincial statutory holidays range: 6 to 11 per province ·
Next statutory holiday in 2025: New Year’s Day – January 1, 2025 ·
Province with most statutory holidays: Quebec (11)

Five federal holidays anchor the Canadian statutory calendar, but provincial additions push the total well beyond that for most workers.

The table below summarizes the core statistics for Canada’s statutory holidays in 2025.

How many statutory holidays are there in Canada?

How many federal statutory holidays are there?

Canada recognizes five federal statutory holidays that apply to federally regulated employees and are listed by the Canada Revenue Agency (federal tax authority):

• New Year’s Day – January 1
• Good Friday – April 18
• Canada Day – July 1
• Labour Day – September 1
• Christmas Day – December 25

These five days are guaranteed paid holidays for all employees under federal jurisdiction, including those in the public service, banks, and transportation sectors. According to the Canada Revenue Agency (federal tax authority), when a federal statutory holiday falls on a weekend, payment or a substitute day is usually provided, but the exact treatment depends on the employer’s policy.

How many provincial statutory holidays are there on average?

Provincial statutory holidays range from as few as 6 in Saskatchewan to as many as 11 in Quebec, according to StatutoryHolidays.com (independent holiday database). Most provinces land at 9 statutory holidays when you combine federal days with provincial additions like Victoria Day and Thanksgiving. For example, British Columbia’s government (provincial employment standards) lists 10 statutory holidays for 2025, including B.C. Day on August 4 and Remembrance Day on November 11, but explicitly excludes Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, and Boxing Day.

The implication: the number of paid days off you get depends entirely on your province and your employer’s designation under federal or provincial labour law.

What are the 12 statutory holidays in Canada?

Which holidays are considered statutory in most provinces?

The phrase “12 statutory holidays” often appears in lists that combine federal holidays with province-specific observances. No single province observes exactly 12; the number is a composite of all days that are statutory somewhere in Canada. The most common holidays across provinces include:

• New Year’s Day (all provinces)
• Good Friday (all provinces)
• Canada Day (all provinces)
• Labour Day (all provinces)
• Christmas Day (all provinces)
• Boxing Day (statutory in Ontario, Alberta, and others, but not in British Columbia or Quebec)
• Victoria Day (statutory in most provinces except Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Thanksgiving (statutory in most provinces except Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Civic Holiday (first Monday in August; statutory in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, but not in Ontario)

According to Wikipedia (user-curated encyclopedia), the total list of statutory holidays in Canada can be said to be around 12 when counting all days that are mandatory paid holidays in at least one jurisdiction.

Which additional holidays are specific to certain provinces?

Several holidays are unique to specific provinces or regions:

• Family Day (third Monday in February) – observed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and New Brunswick
• Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24) – statutory in Quebec only, as confirmed by the Canada Revenue Agency (federal tax authority)
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) – federal statutory for federal employees; provincial adoption varies
• Remembrance Day (November 11) – statutory in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and others; not a paid holiday in Quebec
• Easter Monday (April 21) – statutory only in Quebec; optional elsewhere
• St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) – not a statutory holiday anywhere, though observed in Newfoundland and Labrador as a regular public holiday

What this means: a holiday you can count on in Quebec may not be a paid day off in British Columbia, even if it appears on a national calendar.

Who gets September 30 off in Canada?

Is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a paid statutory holiday?

September 30, 2025, marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a federal statutory holiday for employees in federally regulated workplaces, including the public service, banks, and Crown corporations. The Canada Revenue Agency (federal tax authority) lists it as a public holiday, and federal employees receive a paid day off. However, the holiday is not automatically a paid day off for employees in provincially regulated industries unless provincial legislation mandates it.

Which jurisdictions observe September 30 as a holiday?

Provincial adoption of September 30 as a statutory holiday varies. British Columbia, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador have made it a statutory holiday for provincially regulated workers. Other provinces, such as Alberta and Saskatchewan, do not currently list it as a paid statutory holiday. According to Wikipedia (user-curated encyclopedia), some provinces designate it as an observance day without mandating time off. Employers should check their provincial employment standards to confirm obligations.

The pattern: September 30 is a guaranteed paid day off only for federal employees and those in provinces that have explicitly enacted it.

What is the long weekend in October in Canada?

Which October holiday creates a long weekend?

Thanksgiving Day, observed on the second Monday in October, creates a long weekend for most Canadians. In 2025, Thanksgiving falls on Monday, October 13, meaning the long weekend runs from Saturday, October 11, to Monday, October 13. The Canada Revenue Agency (federal tax authority) lists Thanksgiving as a public holiday, and it is a statutory paid holiday in all provinces except Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador, where it is a regular holiday (employers may choose to give the day off but are not required to).

What are the dates for the October long weekend in 2025?

Thanksgiving 2025: Monday, October 13. The preceding Saturday and Sunday complete a three-day weekend for those who have the day off. Workers in provinces where Thanksgiving is not statutory (PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador) will not automatically receive Monday off unless their employer provides it.

Why does Canada celebrate Thanksgiving in October?

Canada’s Thanksgiving is observed on the second Monday of October, earlier than the US Thanksgiving in November. The date was fixed by proclamation in 1957, as noted by Wikipedia (user-curated encyclopedia). The choice of October reflects Canada’s shorter growing season and earlier harvest timing. The holiday is a statutory paid day off in most provinces, though not in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The trade-off: an autumn long weekend that aligns with Canadian harvest traditions, but with uneven statutory protection across the country.

Does everyone get August 4th off in Ontario?

What is the Civic Holiday in August?

The first Monday in August is known as the Civic Holiday. It goes by different local names: Simcoe Day in Toronto, Heritage Day in Edmonton, British Columbia Day in B.C., and Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan. In 2025, the Civic Holiday falls on Monday, August 4. The Canada Revenue Agency (federal tax authority) includes it in its public holiday list but notes it is excluded for Quebec.

Is August 4, 2025 a statutory holiday in Ontario?

In Ontario, the Civic Holiday is not a statutory holiday under the Employment Standards Act. According to the province’s StatutoryHolidays.com (independent holiday database), employers are not legally required to give employees the day off or pay them premium rates. Many employers still observe it as a day off, but it is not a legal entitlement. This contrasts with British Columbia, where B.C. Day (also August 4) is a statutory holiday, as confirmed by the Government of British Columbia (provincial employment standards).

What the sources say

“The CRA considers the following days to be public holidays… When a due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday recognized by the CRA, payment is considered on time if received on or before the next business day.”

— Canada Revenue Agency (federal tax authority)

“Statutory holidays in Canada vary by province and territory, meaning a holiday can be federal in one context but not recognized as a paid day off everywhere.”

— Wikipedia (user-curated encyclopedia)

For Canadian workers planning their 2025 calendar, the key takeaway is clear: always check your provincial employment standards before booking that long weekend, because a holiday on the federal list doesn’t guarantee a paid day off in your province. The choice is between assuming the day is yours and confirming it with your employer – and the difference can mean an unpaid Monday if you guess wrong.

For a deeper look at which holidays are truly statutory, including the nuanced Civic Holiday status across Canada, the guide offers province-by-province clarity.

Frequently asked questions