Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador are the only places in North America not to have a holiday on Monday.
In Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, February 20 marks Family Day. In Prince Edward Island, it’s Islander Day, Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, and Heritage Day in Nova Scotia. For their part, the United States celebrates presidents every third Monday of February.
While most Quebecers would love to have an extra day off, Premier François Legault has previously indicated he isn’t in favor of the idea, notably in 2021 when Ottawa added a day off. National Truth and Reconciliation. He then highlighted the high costs associated with these additions.
An opinion shared by Francis Bérubé, director of provincial affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
In an interview with TVA Nouvelles on Monday, he recalled that a holiday “does not come without cost for entrepreneurs”.
He estimates that the impact of adding a statutory holiday on the Quebec economy is approximately $750 million per day.
“We have estimated that across Canada, it’s about $3.6 billion in economic impact,” he added.
According to him, entrepreneurs would be in favor of adding a holiday on the condition that it be accompanied by financial compensation, such as a reduction in the tax burden.
