Civic Holiday

For the generic term, see Civic holiday.

Civic Holiday is the most widely used name for a public holiday celebrated in parts of Canada on the first Monday in August,^[1] though it is only officially known by that term in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba. It is a statutory holiday in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Prince Edward Island, but not in Manitoba.

The date of the Civic Holiday is historically linked to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1834,^{[citation needed]} but was chosen primarily for its timing: between Canada Day and Labour Day there were no recognizable holidays, one of the longest stretches on the Canadian calendar without a holiday. (In terms of statutory holidays, the winter stretch between Family Day and Easter is occasionally longer, but unofficial holidays such as Saint Patrick's Day and Valentine's Day are observed during that time.) Thus, this holiday was placed roughly halfway between Canada Day and Labour Day; it is celebrated under numerous names in the jurisdictions it is recognized. In many communities, however, Emancipation Day celebrations are also held, specifically commemorating the abolition of slavery in Canada in 1834.

The holiday is known by a variety of names in different provinces and municipalities, including British Columbia Day in British Columbia, New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan. In Alberta, Heritage Day is an "optional" civic holiday, having been downgraded from a statutory holiday following the introduction of Family Day in 1990. The holiday is celebrated as Natal Day^[2] in Nova Scotia, but is not an official holiday.

In Ontario, many municipalities have local names for the day, such as Simcoe Day in Toronto (the Caribbean Cultural Festival, formerly known as Caribana, is held this holiday weekend), Mountie Day in North York, Colonel By Day in Ottawa, George Hamilton Day in Hamilton, Joseph Brant Day in Burlington, Founders' Day in Brantford, McLaughlin Day in Oshawa, Alexander Mackenzie Day in Sarnia, James Cockburn Day in Cobourg, Peter Robinson Day in Peterborough, and John Galt Day in Guelph, as well as numerous other names in smaller municipalities.^{[citation needed]} Although a work holiday is given to employees of the federal and many municipal governments,^[1] the provincial government has not defined this day as a statutory holiday and it is not mentioned in either Ontario's Employment Standards Act or Retail Business Holidays Act.^[3][4]

The holiday is not generally observed in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, or the Yukon,^[5] except by federal employees. In Newfoundland, the Royal St. John's Regatta, which usually occurs on the first Wednesday of August, effectively displaces the Monday holiday even though it is only officially celebrated as a civic holiday in St. John's.

See also

• Public holidays in Canada
• Christmas in July, a similarly contrived (though unofficial) holiday

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Holidays in the provinces and territories". Canadian Heritage. 2008-04-21. http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/jfa-ha/prov-eng.cfm. Retrieved 2008-07-23. 
2. ^ "Natal Day in Canada". timeanddate.com. http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/natal-day. 
3. ^ "Employment Standards Act, 2000". Province of Ontario. S.O. 2000. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_00e41_e.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-04. 
4. ^ "Retail Business Holidays Act". Province of Ontario. R.S.O. 1990. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90r30_e.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-04. 
5. ^ "First Monday in August Holiday". CanadaInfo. Most recent update during or after August 2004. http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/for_more_information/feature.html. Retrieved 20 June 2009. 

External links

• First Monday in August Holiday
• A holiday with history—Simcoe Day