Federal holiday on September 19: Updates for retailers

This content, through an RCC Member Notice, was last updated on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 9:55am ET.

Retail Council of Canada (RCC)’s communication on September 13, 2022 regarding the various provincial rules for the upcoming Day of Mourning (Monday, September 19, 2022) contained incorrect information for the province of Prince Edward Island (PEI).

The correct information is as follows:

PEI will mark the Day of Mourning on September 19, 2022 as a statutory holiday but it will not be a retail / QSR closing day. Therefore, RCC members can be open but must pay employees according to the law. This approach is harmonized with how the province will honour Truth and Reconciliation Day.

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Members will almost certainly have questions as to whether there will be a public holiday in Canada on September 19, 2022 for the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

It is important to note that the federal announcement this morning does not amount to a retail holiday. That decision is up to the provinces individually. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) engaged in those discussions throughout the day and reported to our members that no provinces are requiring retail to close.

Our best read of the situation is that we will likely see something akin to a civic holiday, in which government and perhaps schools are closed but businesses are allowed to continue to operate.

The federal government’s declaration of a holiday for federally-regulated employees does not by itself impact retailers, because our employees are not federally regulated. Our workers fall under provincial jurisdiction. The federal holiday would also not affect transportation infrastructure like airports or border points, as those remain open even on federal public holidays.