A statutory holiday, or public holiday, is one on which official business and working hours are restricted by law. Those are the days that most people get off work or are paid holiday pay, and when schools and businesses like the post office and banks are typically closed. There are a dozen statutory holidays in Alberta peppered throughout the year, including two optional ones and one which applies only to banks and the government. Below is a listing of the 2011 public holidays in Alberta to help you get your bearings this year.
What Days Are Holidays In Alberta?
It's important to know which days of the year are public holidays, as many people like to plan vacations or events for the long weekends of the year. Plus, it's always nice to get paid without actually going to work (or make a premium if you're scheduled in). In 2011, Alberta statutory holidays fall on the following days:
- Saturday, January 1: New Years' Day
- Monday, February 21: Alberta Family Day
- Friday, April 22: Good Friday
- Monday, April 25: Easter Monday (banks and government only)
- Monday, May 23: Victoria Day
- Friday, July 1: Canada Day
- Monday, August 1: Heritage Day (optional for businesses)
- Monday, September 5: Labour Day
- Monday, October 10: Thanksgiving
- Friday, November 11: Remembrance Day
- Sunday, December 25: Christmas Day
- Monday, December 26: Boxing Day (optional for businesses)
Holidays Unique To Alberta
Most of the holidays listed above are celebrated across Canada, but Family Day and Heritage Day are exceptions. Although Family Day is now celebrated in a few other Canadian provinces, including Saskatchewan, Manitoba (as Louis Riel Day), Ontario and Prince Edward Island (as Islander Day), it started in Alberta way back in 1990 and took almost 20 years to be implemented anywhere else.
Similarly, the first Monday in August is celebrated across the country as an optional civic holiday, but Alberta knows it as Heritage Day. In Saskatchewan, it's Saskatchewan Day; in British Columbia, it's British Columbia Day; and in Newfoundland, it's Regatta Day.
Holiday Pay For Alberta Workers
Concerned about your holiday pay? The Government of Alberta has published a great fact sheet titled General Holidays and General Holiday Pay to keep workers informed and make sure they're earning what they are supposed to on statutory holidays. Visit the Alberta Government's official website to search for more information on statutory holidays in Alberta.
Sources:
Alberta Family Day Emphasizes Importance of Home and Family Values. Reeves College. 15 Feb. 2010. Retr. 18 Feb. 2011.
Civic Holiday in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Statutory Holidays. Retr. 18 February 2011.
Statutory Holiday. Encarta. Retr. 17 Feb. 2011.
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