Provincial Holiday Differences in Canada: Comparing the Calendars

Canada does not have one holiday calendar for every working-day calculation. The calculator has a federal calendar and a separate calendar for each province and territory. Selecting a different one can change the result.

The clearest differences in 2026 occur around the February holidays, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day and Boxing Day. The table compares the ordinary public holidays included in the calculator. A court rule, contract or employment law may define its calendar differently.

The same period can end on a different date

2026 date	Excluded in	Counted in	What changes
Monday 16 February	Ontario: Family Day	Quebec: no February public holiday	A count crossing the third Monday finishes one working day later in Ontario
Wednesday 30 September	British Columbia: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation	Ontario: not an ESA public holiday	A three-day count from 28 September finishes 2 October in BC and 1 October in Ontario
Wednesday 11 November	Alberta: Remembrance Day	Ontario: not an ESA public holiday	A three-day count from 9 November finishes 13 November in Alberta and 12 November in Ontario

In each comparison, only the selected province changes. The period, counting method and treatment of the start date stay the same.

Alberta and Ontario, one day apart

Count three working days after Monday 9 November 2026, with the start date excluded:

Date	Ontario	Alberta
Tuesday 10 November	Day 1	Day 1
Wednesday 11 November	Day 2	Remembrance Day excluded
Thursday 12 November	Day 3	Day 2
Friday 13 November	After the period	Day 3

The Ontario result is Thursday 12 November 2026. The Alberta result is Friday 13 November 2026. Open the Alberta calculation, then change Province or Territory to Ontario for the other row.

The Province or Territory setting changes the public holidays applied to the count. It leaves the three-day period and the start-date setting unchanged.

The February holiday is not observed everywhere

On Monday 16 February 2026, five provinces observe Family Day: Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan. Manitoba observes Louis Riel Day, Prince Edward Island observes Islander Day, and Nova Scotia observes Heritage Day.

Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador have no provincial holiday on that Monday. Neither do the Northwest Territories or Nunavut. Yukon Heritage Day falls later in February and is not a statutory holiday under Yukon's Employment Standards Act.

This difference changes a calculation that crosses the third Monday in February. Start on Friday 13 February and count one working day, excluding the start date. Ontario reaches Tuesday 17 February because Monday is Family Day. Quebec reaches Monday 16 February.

The Family Day Canada 2027 guide provides the province-by-province table for the following year. The 2026 Canadian statutory-holiday calendar lists the other dates included for each jurisdiction.

Select the federal calendar only when it applies

The federal calendar applies the ten general holidays listed for federally regulated employees. It includes 30 September, Remembrance Day and Boxing Day, but it has no February general holiday.

The federal list does not replace a provincial calendar simply because an organization operates across Canada. The applicable legislation or the wording that defines the period determines which calendar to use. Federal (Canada) therefore appears as a separate choice alongside the thirteen provincial and territorial calendars.

Quebec may require an additional setting

Quebec's list includes National Patriots' Day on 18 May and the National Holiday on 24 June. Two additional controls cover separate issues:

Quebec Easter Holiday switches between Good Friday and Easter Monday because the employment rule provides one of those dates.
Quebec Construction - Summer and Quebec Construction - Winter add the CCQ vacation periods for covered construction work.

The Easter setting chooses one holiday date. A construction setting excludes a date range. Selecting Quebec alone does not apply either choice because the correct option depends on the rule or work being counted.

Add an agreed substitute day separately

Ontario Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December 2026. The Ontario calendar records that statutory date. It cannot assume that Monday 28 December is every employee's substitute day. Under Ontario's Employment Standards Act guidance, a substitute holiday can be scheduled within three months, or within twelve months with written or electronic agreement. An employee may instead agree to receive public holiday pay without a substitute day.

If an organization has fixed a substitute day or a longer year-end closure, use a Shutdown Overlay only if its dates match. Otherwise account for the date outside the calculator. The ordinary Ontario calendar should remain unchanged.