Statutory holidays

Nova Scotia’s 6 statutory holidays

Nova Scotia has 6 statutory holidays. Retail closing rules, and whether employees must be paid a premium for working, are set separately from the holiday list itself and differ by province.

Days that are not statutory holidays here

This is where provinces differ most, and where people most often expect a day off that they are not entitled to.

• Easter Monday, Victoria Day and Natal Day are commonly recognised as holidays but are not paid general holidays under the Labour Standards Code.
• Remembrance Day is governed separately by the Remembrance Day Act.
• Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Boxing Day are retail closing days.

Who this applies to

Federally regulated workplaces — banks, telecommunications, air, rail and marine transport, and the federal public service — follow the Canada Labour Code holiday list instead of the provincial one.

If you work in a federally regulated job, your holiday entitlement comes from the Canada Labour Code and may include days Nova Scotia does not observe — and vice versa. Your employment contract or union agreement is what actually governs your entitlement.

What is open

Statutory holidays in Canada are not blanket closures. Grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants and many retailers often open with reduced hours, while government offices, banks and libraries close. Provinces with retail closing laws — Nova Scotia and Manitoba among them — restrict what may open on particular days, so the answer genuinely depends on where you are. Transit usually runs a Sunday or holiday schedule.