Civic Holiday
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Civic Holiday is the most widely used name for a public holiday celebrated in parts of Canada on the first Monday in August,[1] though it is only officially known by that term in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, where it is a statutory holiday.
The holiday is known by a variety of names in different provinces and municipalities, including British Columbia Day in British Columbia, New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan. In Alberta, Heritage Day is an "optional" civil holiday, having being downgraded from a staturtory holiday following the introduction of Family Day in 1990. The holiday is celebrated as Natal Day in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, but is not an official holiday in either locale.
In Ontario, the holiday is observed as a municipal holiday known as Simcoe Day in Toronto, Colonel By Day in Ottawa, Joseph Brant Day in Burlington, Founders' Day in Brantford, McLaughlin Day in Oshawa, Alexander Mackenzie Day in Sarnia, James Cockburn Day in Cobourg, and John Galt Day in Guelph, as well as numerous other names in smaller municipalities. Although a work holiday is given to employees of the federal and many municipal governments,[1] the provincial government has not defined this day as a statutory holiday and it is not mentioned in either Ontario's Employment Standards Act or Retail Business Holidays Act.[2][3]
The holiday is not generally observed in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, or Yukon,[4]except by federal employees. In Newfoundland, the Royal St. John's Regatta, which usually occurs on the first Wednesday of August, effectively displaces the Monday holiday, even though it is only officially celebrated as a civic holiday in St. John's.
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- ^ a b "Holidays in the provinces and territories". Canadian Heritage. 2008-04-21. http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/jfa-ha/prov-eng.cfm. Retrieved on 2008-07-23.
- ^ "Employment Standards Act, 2000". Province of Ontario. S.O. 2000. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_00e41_e.htm. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Retail Business Holidays Act". Province of Ontario. R.S.O. 1990. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90r30_e.htm. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ "First Monday in August Holiday". CanadaInfo. Most recent update during or after August 2004. http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/for_more_information/feature.html. Retrieved on 20 June 2009.
