In the province of Ontario, it can be difficult to decipher what retailers are open and closed on holidays. That’s why we created What’s Open Ontario – to give Ontarians an easy way to see what’s open and closed on holidays. But what’s the formula? How do we know what’s open and closed? Let’s take a look at how retail holidays work in Ontario.
What are the types of holidays in Ontario?
Retailers in Ontario may be affected by one, or both, of two types of holidays.
Ontario retail business holidays
Retail holidays are days that retailers are required by law to close to the public. The Retail Business Holidays Act specifies nine days per year as retail holidays. They are: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Federal statutory holidays
Federal statutory holidays (sometimes called “stat” or “bank” holidays) are days that employees of federally regulated organizations are entitled to a paid day off. The Canada Labour Code names New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day as statutory holidays.
This table shows which holidays are Ontario retail holidays and which are federal statutory holidays.
What types of retailers close on Ontario retail business holidays?
The Retail Business Holidays Act requires all retailers to close. Grocery stores, shopping malls, big box stores, The Beer Store, the LCBO and others all close on Ontario retail business holidays.
There are many exceptions to this rule:
- Stores with less than 2,400 square feet of floor space and three or fewer employees selling tobacco, antiques, handicrafts or books
- Nurseries, garden centres, and flower shops
- Gas stations, and
- Tourist areas
The Act specifically excludes the City of Toronto, and also gives other Ontario municipalities the power to pass their own bylaws, overriding the provincial rules.
Which municipalities have passed retail holiday bylaws?
Many municipalities have passed bylaws setting out different for holidays than stated in the Act. A few examples include:
- The City of Toronto. While Toronto is excepted from the Ontario Retail business Holidays Act, the city has passed a bylaw setting out the exact same rules. Toronto has also designated a few tourist areas to be exempt from closing, including the Downtown Yonge and Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Areas, and the Distillery District.
- York Region. The Regional Municipality of York has passed a bylaw allowing retailers of all types to open every day of the year except Christmas Day.
- Peel Region. The Region of Peel has a bylaw allowing retailers to open on holidays with permission from council. Two major malls – Square One in Mississauga and Bramalea City Centre in Brampton are allowed to open on holidays, along with a small number of grocery stores.
- Ottawa. The City of Ottawa does not allow retailers to open on holidays, and has passed a bylaw prohibiting most retailers from opening before 12:30pm on Remembrance Day.
- Kingston. The City of Kingston has passed a bylaw allowing retailers to open on holidays between May 1st and October 15th.
Many municipalities have passed bylaws that require individual retailers to apply for, and be granted, an exception in order to open on holidays.
What types of retailers close on federal statutory holidays?
While there are no laws requiring retailers to close on federal statutory holidays, federally-regulated employees are entitled to a day off under the Canada Labour Code. To accommodate this requirement, locations that fall under federal jurisdiction close on federal statutory holidays. Affected locations include banks and post offices. Government offices are also closed on federal statutory holidays, including provincial and municipal offices like ServiceOntario and city halls.
How do I know what’s open and closed on a holiday?
Retailers are closed on a holiday if all these criteria are met:
- The holiday is an Ontario retail business holiday or federal statutory holiday
- The type of location is required to close on any type of holiday that applies to the date in question
- The municipality has not passed a bylaw that excepts the location from closing on holidays
If any of these criteria do not apply, the retailer will be open.
Because there are so many different types of holidays, different sets of rules, and exceptions at different levels, we created a tool that lets you easily search what retailers are open on holidays in Ontario.
Note that even where exceptions apply, some individual locations may choose to close on holidays. This is especially true for smaller, independent stores with limited staff.
What about other observances?
There are many holidays that aren’t covered by the Ontario Retail Holidays Act or the Canada Labour Code. These include observances like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick Day and Halloween, as well as religious holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Diwali.
Furthermore, many public holidays in the United States are not observed. Holidays like Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day are regular shopping days in Ontario and all businesses are open.
There are some days that, while not holidays, retailers often choose to voluntarily reduce their hours. For example, many retailers choose to open late on Remembrance Day to give employees and customers the opportunity to attend services. Many retailers also choose to close early on days like Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve to alleviate staffing pressure and because of low sales volumes on those days.
Is Sunday shopping permitted in Ontario?
Retailers in Ontario have been allowed to open on Sundays since 1992 when the province’s previous Sunday shopping ban was repealed. Some retailers still choose not to open on Sundays, however. Banks, car dealerships, and ServiceOntario locations all close on Sundays with very few exceptions.
In summary: How retail holidays work in Ontario
Retail holidays in Ontario are primarily governed by the Ontario Retail Business Holidays Act, which requires retailers with more than 2,400 square feet of floor space to close on nine days per year. However, the Act also gives municipalities the ability to set their own rules – many of which have done so. Additionally, the Canada Labour Code sets out ten statutory holidays for federally-regulated workers, which shutters locations like banks and government offices on those dates.
If you’re not sure about what’s open and closed on holidays near you, use our search to get a clearer picture.