Ontario has 9 public (statutory) holidays a year under the Employment Standards Act. The next Ontario holiday is Christmas Day on , 64 days from today. The Civic Holiday in August, Easter Monday and Remembrance Day are not on the list; Boxing Day is.
The nine holidays are New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. They apply to most provincially regulated workplaces in Ontario. Banks, airlines, telecoms and other federally regulated employers follow the Canada Labour Code, which adds September 30 and Remembrance Day and drops Family Day. To count working days in Ontario between two dates, use the business days calculator.
Ontario statutory holidays 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Monday | Family Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Victoria Day | |
| Wednesday | Canada Day | |
| Monday | Labour Day | |
| Monday | Thanksgiving Day | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | |
| Saturday | Boxing Day |
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Civic Holiday | Optional: not a statutory day off; many employers give it | |
| Monday | Boxing Day (substitute day commonly given; not statutory) | Optional: not a statutory day off; many employers give it |
Ontario statutory holidays 2027
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | New Year's Day | |
| Monday | Family Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Victoria Day | |
| Thursday | Canada Day | |
| Monday | Labour Day | |
| Monday | Thanksgiving Day | |
| Saturday | Christmas Day | |
| Sunday | Boxing Day |
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Civic Holiday | Optional: not a statutory day off; many employers give it | |
| Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day commonly given; not statutory) | Optional: not a statutory day off; many employers give it | |
| Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day commonly given; not statutory) | Optional: not a statutory day off; many employers give it |
When a holiday falls on a weekend: the ESA does not move it. Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday, December 26; in 2027, Christmas falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, and the tables keep them on those dates. The weekdays after (Monday, December 28, 2026, and Monday and Tuesday, December 27 and 28, 2027) are listed as optional because many weekday workplaces close then, but they are not public holidays: each affected employee gets a substitute day under the rule below, and the employer sets the date.
Counting the nine public holidays on their actual dates (optional days and the Civic Holiday stay working days), Ontario has 253 business days in 2026 and 254 in 2027.
What is not a statutory holiday in Ontario
- Civic Holiday (first Monday in August, called Simcoe Day in Toronto): not a public holiday under the ESA. Many employers give the day off, but they don’t have to.
- Easter Sunday and Easter Monday: not ESA holidays. Good Friday is.
- Remembrance Day (November 11): not an ESA holiday, unlike in B.C. and for federally regulated workers.
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30): a federal holiday, not an Ontario public holiday.
Public holiday pay in Ontario
Public holiday pay is the regular wages earned in the four work weeks before the work week with the holiday, plus the vacation pay payable for those weeks, divided by 20.
Full-time, part-time, permanent and term employees can all qualify, however recently they were hired. An employee loses the holiday entitlement only if they fail, without reasonable cause, to work all of their last scheduled day before the holiday or their first scheduled day after it.
| Situation | What a qualifying employee gets |
|---|---|
| Day off on the holiday | Public holiday pay |
| Agrees in writing to work the holiday | Regular wages for the hours worked plus a substitute day off with holiday pay, or holiday pay plus premium pay (1.5 times the regular rate) for the hours worked |
| Holiday falls on a non-working day or during vacation | A substitute day off with holiday pay, or holiday pay alone if the employee agrees in writing |
Substitute days when a holiday falls on a day off
When a public holiday falls on a day that is not ordinarily a working day for an employee, such as Boxing Day on a Saturday for someone who works Monday to Friday, the employee is entitled to a substitute day off with public holiday pay. The rules:
- The substitute day must be no later than three months after the holiday, or up to 12 months after if the employee agrees in writing or electronically.
- Before the holiday, the employer must give a written statement naming the holiday, the substitute date and the date the statement was given.
- Instead of a substitute day, the employee can agree in writing to take public holiday pay only.
What’s open and closed on Ontario stat holidays
- Retail stores: under the Retail Business Holidays Act, most stores must close on New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Exceptions include gas stations, garden centres, small stores selling only certain goods, tourist areas and municipalities with an exemption by-law (Toronto is exempt). Boxing Day is not a mandatory closing day for stores.
- Banks: branches generally close on the holidays Ontario shares with the federal list. Hours on Family Day, the Civic Holiday, Easter Monday and Remembrance Day vary by bank; check your branch.
- LCBO, Beer Store, grocery stores and malls: varies by store and location; check holiday hours before you go.
- Canada Post: follows its own holiday schedule; check canadapost-postescanada.ca.
Frequently asked questions
How many statutory holidays are there in Ontario?
Nine: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Is the Civic Holiday a stat holiday in Ontario?
No. The first Monday in August is not a public holiday under the ESA. Many workplaces give it off, but there is no requirement to give the day off or pay public holiday pay.
Is Remembrance Day a stat holiday in Ontario?
No. Remembrance Day is not one of Ontario’s nine public holidays. It is a holiday for federally regulated workplaces and a stat holiday in B.C.
Is Easter Monday a stat holiday in Ontario?
No. Good Friday is a public holiday in Ontario; Easter Monday is not.
Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in Ontario?
Yes. December 26 is one of the nine ESA public holidays. When it falls on a weekend, employees who don’t normally work that day get a substitute day off with holiday pay.
Sources: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: public holidays and Retail business holidays (ontario.ca), last checked October 21, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice; for your own situation, use the Ontario Employment Standards self-service tool or contact the Ministry of Labour.
More holiday calendars: all holidays and what’s open, Canada statutory holidays by province, BC stat holidays, Alberta stat holidays, and the business days calculator.