Civic Holiday

Civic Holiday
Official name
  • Civic Holiday (federal, NU, NT, ON)
  • British Columbia Day (BC)
  • Heritage Day (AB)
  • New Brunswick Day (NB)
  • Saskatchewan Day (SK)
  • Natal Day (NS)
  • Terry Fox Day (MB)
Observed byCanada (most jurisdictions)
TypePublic
DateFirst Monday in August
2023 dateAugust 7  (2023-08-07)
2024 dateAugust 5  (2024-08-05)
2025 dateAugust 4  (2025-08-04)
2026 dateAugust 3  (2026-08-03)
FrequencyAnnual

Civic Holiday (French: congé civique) is a public holiday in Canada celebrated on the first Monday in August.[1]

Though the first Monday of August is celebrated in most of Canada as a public holiday,[2] it is only officially known as "Civic Holiday" in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, where it is a territorial statutory holiday.

In other provinces and municipalities, the holiday is known by a variety of names, including British Columbia Day in British Columbia, New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan; all of these places celebrate the date as a provincial statutory holiday.

The holiday is celebrated as Heritage Day in Alberta;[3] Natal Day in Nova Scotia,[4] in commemoration of the founding of the Halifax–Dartmouth area; Natal Day on Prince Edward Island celebrating the birth of the province; and as Terry Fox Day in Manitoba, in honour of the Manitoba-born athlete.[5]

The date is also celebrated as several municipal holidays in Ontario, such as Simcoe Day in Toronto, John Galt Day in Guelph, and Colonel By Day in Ottawa.

Despite its special designations, the day is not a statutory holiday in Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Alberta, or Ontario; however, it is commonly observed by all levels of government, financial institutions and some businesses.[6]

The word civic is in reference to municipalities (such as cities, towns, etc.), as this day is not legislatively mandated a public holiday across the country by the Canadian federal government and is often given a different, more specific name by some municipalities or provinces.

  1. ^ "Public holidays". Canada Revenue Agency. 21 January 2016. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Holidays in the provinces and territories". Canadian Heritage. 21 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Natal Day in Canada". timeanddate.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  5. ^ Lawson, Kim (30 July 2014). "August holiday to be named Terry Fox Day, Manitoba premier says". Global News. Archived from the original on 5 August 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  6. ^ Kudelik, Gail (9 August 2009). "Civic Holiday". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2 August 2024.