Question: Is there a new statutory holiday at the end of September?
Answer: Yes, there is a new statutory holiday on September 30, 2021 and it will be held every year going forward, but most workers in Ontario won’t be directly affected. The holiday affects federally regulated workers. The vast majority of workers are provincially regulated. According to the government of Canada, only about 6% of all Canadian workers are federally regulated. LabourStandards-Infographic-20200925-EN.pdf (canada.ca)
September 30, 2021 update: In addition to the Federal government of Canada, the provinces of Manitoba, Nova Scotia and PEI have also made September 30th a provincial statutory holiday.
What’s closed on September 30th?
Although September 30th is not a provincial statutory holiday in Ontario, you may still find several services closed on this day.
Provincial government employees have been given the day off in some provinces and therefore you may find both federal and provincial government offices closed on September 30th. And because banking falls under federal jurisdiction, some companies may have adjusted payroll to land in employee bank accounts on a day other than September 30th.
Canada Post offices will be closed. Major bank branches will be closed. LCBO retail stores may have shorter hours.
Private companies that are not federally regulated may have decided to close even though it is not a statutory holiday in Ontario.
New Statutory Holiday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Canada has a new federal statutory holiday after Bill C-5 received royal assent on June 3, 2021.
September 30th, 2021 will be the first of an annual national day for truth and reconciliation.
The creation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was one of the recommendations of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada made in 2015. This Commission began its work in 2008 as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement agreement with the mandate to inform Canadians about what really happened in Indian Residential Schools.
Residential schools were government sponsored religious schools designed to educate and convert Indigenous children to European Canadian religion and culture. What actually resulted from these residential schools was the destruction of families and Indigenous culture, as well as horrific abuses inflicted upon the students. See: Residential Schools in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia and About – NCTR for more information about residential schools and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a chance for Canadians to reflect on a dark chapter in Canada’s history and commemorate the survivors of residential schools, their families, and their communities.
As explained by The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, the purpose of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is to acknowledge the harm that residential schools have done to Indigenous Peoples. He stated, “We have taken steps to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Actions. However, we recognize that there is still much work to do as a country to make progress on our shared path of reconciliation. This includes acknowledging the harm residential schools have done to Indigenous Peoples. By establishing a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we will have a day every year to reflect and honour the survivors of residential schools, ensuring they are never forgotten” Government of Canada Introduces Legislation to Establish National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Canada.ca.
So, who will be getting this holiday?
This statutory holiday affects federally regulated workers. The following are federally regulated industries and workplaces:
- Air transportation including airlines and airports
- Banks including authorized foreign banks
- Grain elevators, feed mills and warehouses
- First Nations band councils, including certain community services on reserve
- Federal Crown corporations like Canada Post
- Port services, marine shipping, ferries, tunnels, canals, bridge and pipelines that cross international or provincial borders
- Radio and telephone broadcasting
- Railways crossing provincial or international borders
- Road transportation including trucks and buses that cross provincial or international borders
- Telecommunications – telephone, internet
- Uranium mining, processing and atomic energy
- Businesses essential to the operation of the items listed above
- Federal public service workers
- Parliament – Senate, House of Commons, Library of Parliament
But even if you are not a federally regulated worker, September 30 is still a day for all of us to pause and think: to honour the survivors of residential schools and those who did not survive, to reflect on the mistakes of our past, and to strive to do better as human beings.