Federal Holiday For a National Day of Mourning in Canada

Federal Holiday For a National Day of Mourning in Canada

This week Prime minister Justin Trudeau declared that Monday September 19, 2022 will be a National Day of Mourning in Canada to honour her majesty Queen Elizabeth II and that it will be designated as a one-time holiday for federal public service employees. This means that all federal offices and federal crown corporations will be closed. However, it is important to note that federally regulated businesses and industries in Ontario (such as banks, telecommunications services, and interprovincial trucking companies) are invited to take part in the day of mourning, but are NOT required to observe the holiday although they may opt to do so if they wish.

Soon after the Prime Minister’s announcement, Doug Ford responded that Ontario will not have a provincial paid holiday but rather will mark Sept. 19 — the day of the Queen’s funeral in London — “as a provincial day of mourning in lieu of a provincial holiday” and suggested that Ontarians will observe a moment of silence at 1 p.m. on that day.

Provincial decisions regarding the national day of mourning may vary, so please be sure to understand what is expected or required for each of the locations where your employees conduct business. You can also contact 1-800-O CANADA (622-6232) to get the most up-to-date information.

We always welcome an opportunity to speak with you about how Peak Performance HR can support your team with our fractional outsourced HR services. Please connect with us via email at [email protected] or at 1-800-674-3471.

Lisa Kay
President & Lead Consultant
Peak Performance Human Resources Corp.