Skip to content

Federal holiday declared to honour Queen’s death on September 19, 2022, but Atlantic provinces divided on whether to declare the holiday for private sector businesses

G. Grant Machum and Ben Currie

On Tuesday, September 13, 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a federal holiday on Monday, September 19, 2022 to honour the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan later clarified that the holiday will only be for federal government employees, and federally regulated employers will be “welcomed to follow suit.” Provinces in Atlantic Canada are divided on whether to declare the holiday in the private sector.

The following summarizes the position of each province in Atlantic Canada regarding whether the holiday will apply to private sector employers:

Nova Scotia

September 19, 2022 will not be a statutory holiday; therefore, private sector employers will decide whether to remain open and will not be required to provide additional pay for employees who work on September 19.

Most private employers in Nova Scotia so far are not treating September 19 as a holiday.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Similarly, in Newfoundland and Labrador, September 19, 2022 is not a statutory holiday and private sector employers will be permitted to decide whether to open. As a result, additional pay will not be required for employees who are required to work on September 19.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick will similarly make September 19, 2022 optional as a holiday for private sector employers and additional pay will not be required for those employees who work on September 19.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island will declare a one-time statutory holiday for all provincially regulated workers on September 19, 2022. This applies to private sector employers since Prince Edward Island has declared September 19, 2022 as a statutory holiday for the purpose of the Employment Standards Act (“ESA”). Therefore, additional pay will be required for employees who are required to work on September 19, 2022 pursuant to the ESA.


This update is intended for general information only. If you have questions about the above, please contact the authors.

Click here to subscribe to Stewart McKelvey Thought Leadership.

SHARE

Archive

Search Archive


 
 

Anticipating changes to the Competition Act: what businesses need to know

November 1, 2023

By Deanne MacLeod, K.C., Burtley Francis & David Slipp On September 21, 2023, the Federal Government introduced Bill C-56: An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act (“Bill C-56”), with the…

Read More

Powering the future: Green choice program regulations

September 22, 2023

By Nancy Rubin, K.C. and Lauren Agnew The long-awaited Green Choice Program Regulations (N.S. Reg. 155/2023) were released by the provincial government on September 8, 2023, offering some clarity into the practical implementation of Nova…

Read More

Privilege protected: Court of Appeal rules NL’s Information and Privacy Commissioner barred from reviewing solicitor-client privileged information

September 20, 2023

By Koren Thomson, John Samms, and Matthew Raske The Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal has held that the Information and Privacy Commissioner for this province (the “Commissioner”) does not have the authority to order…

Read More

Amendments required for Prince Edward Island code of conduct bylaws

September 18, 2023

By Perlene Morrison, K.C. Municipalities are required to pass code of conduct bylaws in accordance with section 107 of the Municipal Government Act (the “MGA”). Subsection 107(1) of the MGA specifically states that a municipality’s…

Read More

Professionally speaking: Ontario Superior Court upholds professional regulators’ right to moderate speech

September 14, 2023

By Sheila Mecking and Kathleen Starke On August 23, 2023, the Ontario Superior Court (“ONSC”) upheld a complaints decision which ordered a psychologist to complete a continuing education or remedial program regarding professionalism in public…

Read More

One-year reminder for federal employers: Pay equity plans due September 3, 2024

September 5, 2023

By Dante Manna As we advised in a previous podcast, all federal employers with at least ten employees[1] have been subject to the Pay Equity Act [2] (“PEA”) and Pay Equity Regulations [3] (“Regulations”) since…

Read More

Charging to net-zero: Government releases draft Clean Electricity Regulations

August 23, 2023

By Nancy Rubin, K.C. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) recently published a draft of the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER). The proposed Regulations work toward achieving a net-zero electricity-generating sector, helping Canada become a net-zero…

Read More

Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador rejects developer’s constructive expropriation claim

August 18, 2023

By Stephen Penney & Matthew Raske In the recent decision Index Investment Inc. v. Paradise (Town), 2023 NLSC 112, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador validated the Town of Paradise’s decision to rezone lands…

Read More

IRCC expands authorization for foreign workers to study without a study permit: Four things you need to know

July 13, 2023

By Sara Espinal Henao Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) has announced a promising new temporary measure that allows foreign workers to study for a longer duration without a study permit, opening the door for…

Read More

Canada’s first-ever Tech Talent Strategy announced

July 12, 2023

By Brendan Sheridan The Government of Canada recently announced a number of aggressive immigration measures to help attract top talent to Canada in high-growth industries in an effort to fuel innovation and drive emerging technologies.…

Read More

Search Archive


Scroll To Top