Thanksgiving 2025 is coming up fast, and depending on where you live in Canada, the upcoming holiday could either mean a cozy long weekend or just another Monday grind.
While Thanksgiving in Canada is a federal statutory holiday, not every province treats it the same way.
Whether or not you get the day off (and paid for it) really depends on your location and who you work for — and in some parts of the country, it’s not a guaranteed break.
Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday of October, giving many Canadians a long weekend to enjoy fall traditions, turkey dinners and time with loved ones.
This year, Thanksgiving Day falls on Monday, October 13.
Who gets the day off for Thanksgiving?
If you work for the federal government or in a federally regulated industry — like airlines, banks, postal, trucking, telecom or railways — you’re covered. Thanksgiving Day is a paid stat holiday across all federal workplaces, so you should have a paid day off on October 13 or an arrangement for extra pay.
Most provinces and territories also observe Canadian Thanksgiving as a statutory holiday. That includes Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon.
In these places, Thanksgiving Day is recognized under employment laws, meaning most workers are entitled to either a paid day off or stat pay if they’re on shift.
But in Atlantic Canada, it’s a different story.
Is Thanksgiving a holiday in Atlantic Canada?
The provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. do not consider Thanksgiving a paid public holiday under their labour laws. That means employees in these provinces aren’t automatically entitled to the day off or extra pay if they work.
In these provinces, it’s treated more as a day of closures than a stat. It’s a “prescribed day of rest” in New Brunswick, a “shops closing holiday” in Newfoundland and Labrador, a “retail closing day” in Nova Scotia and a “retail business holiday” in P.E.I.
In practice, that means most retail businesses are required to close (with some exceptions), but workers don’t automatically get paid time off. If you work at a business that’s mandated to close, there’s no legal requirement for your employer to pay you for the day. And if your workplace is allowed to stay open, your employer can ask you to work — and you’re not entitled to refuse or to receive holiday pay.
That said, some employers might still choose to offer the day off with pay, and many unions in the region have negotiated Thanksgiving as a paid holiday, especially in the public sector. So even though it’s not a stat holiday, most schools, government offices, liquor stores and other provincial or municipal services will be closed across the region.
Essentially, folks in these provinces should still expect all the usual holiday disruptions — without necessarily getting the perks of a mandated day off or stat pay.
The Atlantic provinces have some of the lowest numbers of statutory holidays in Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia have the fewest in the country at just six each. New Brunswick and P.E.I. are tied with Quebec for the second-lowest number at eight. Meanwhile, everywhere else in Canada gets between nine and 11 paid public holidays each year.
So before you plan your Thanksgiving 2025 feast or fall road trip, it’s worth checking your province’s rules — and maybe giving your boss a quick call.
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