In Nova Scotia, Victoria Day is NOT a paid holiday.  It is not a paid holiday in any of the Atlantic provinces.  It is a paid holiday in BC, in Saskatchewan and in Ontario. In Québec, the paid holiday commemorates the 1837-1838 Rebellions as Journée nationale des patriotes.

The good news is that the annual May Two-Four weekend, a.k.a. the Victoria Day weekend, is here.  And a bit of rain — to dampen down fire risk — is in the forecast. The bad news is, unless you are covered by a collective agreement at your workplace, you will probably NOT get Monday off with pay.  More bad news — if you do work that day, you earn only straight time: there is no special pay for working this Monday.

Victoria Day: Another punitive holiday courtesy of the NS government.

This is because Victoria Day, which is celebrated on Monday May 18 this year, is not one of the measly six paid holidays in Nova Scotia.  

Garden centres, restaurants, grocery stores, malls, hardware stores and more will be open on Victoria Day. That is because Victoria Day is not one of the nine days that the provincial government declares a retail closing day, as per the Retail Business Designated Day Closing Act. Retail closing days are ones in which stores must be closed, yet the employees are not necessarily paid for the day off.

So, if you do get this Monday off with pay…

If you get this Monday, Victoria Day, off with pay– thank your union –- better still get actively involved in your union. If you don’t get the day off as a paid holiday, consider asking a union to represent you and your fellow workers. That way the union can negotiate for you and your workplace to get the Monday of the May Two-Four weekend as a paid holiday.

Image at the top: Tulips by the Ottawa River, with a view of the Parliament buildings in the background. (credit: Ottawa Tourism)