Family Day Stat Holiday: Who Gets Paid and Where
Family Day is a paid statutory holiday for most workers in five provinces, but not for federally regulated employees or for workers in the rest of Canada.
When is Family Day?
- Next:
- 2026:
- 2027:
Is Family Day a statutory holiday?
Family Day is a statutory holiday in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan. Manitoba (Louis Riel Day), Prince Edward Island (Islander Day) and Nova Scotia (Heritage Day) have their own paid holiday on the same Monday. It is not a federal holiday, so banks, airlines, telecoms and other federally regulated employers are not required to give the day off.
Who gets paid for Family Day?
Most employees in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan qualify for holiday pay on Family Day. Each jurisdiction sets its own eligibility rules, such as how long you have worked for your employer or whether you worked your scheduled shifts before and after the holiday. Part-time employees are often eligible as well.
What if you work on Family Day?
If you work on a statutory holiday, you are usually entitled to premium pay for the hours worked, commonly 1.5 times your regular rate, plus holiday pay. Some rules allow regular pay plus a substitute day off instead. The exact combination depends on your province or territory and on any collective agreement.
Background
Alberta created Family Day in 1990, and other provinces followed between 2007 and 2018.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Holiday pay rules change from time to time. For your exact entitlement, contact your provincial or territorial employment standards office.
