With the summer season beginning, we have a lot of holidays to look forward to, and it’s important that small businesses know which nine holidays retail businesses must be closed each year, when exceptions may apply, and how closures are enforced.
The nine holidays are as follows:
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Family Day (the third Monday of February)
- Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday – typically in March or April)
- Easter Sunday (typically in March or April)
- Victoria Day (the last Monday before or on May 24)
- Canada Day (July 1 – if July 1 is a Sunday, the mandatory closure moves to the following Monday)
- Labour Day (the first Monday in September)
- Thanksgiving Day (the second Monday in October)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
As per the Retail Business Holidays Act, retail businesses in Ontario must be closed on these days. There are exceptions, however, to both municipalities and particular business types. Section 1.1 of the act deals with municipalities, but check with your own municipality to verify whether it has holiday closing requirements for retail businesses. Section 3 of the act has a complete list of all business type exceptions and their parameters.
Read more here.
