Here's how Canadians can maximize their time off in 2026
With 2025 soon coming to an end, it’s the perfect time to start planning your time off for 2026 and make the most of Canada’s stat holidays.
Maximize your vacation days by planning your time off around stat holidays and other provincial holidays. And while vacation policies vary depending on where you work (it’s always best to check first), this information can help you get at least one or two long breaks in 2026.
So with all the upcoming stat holidays in mind, plan ahead, and get your time-off requests in early — your future self will thank you for it.
January
It’s a good thing that New Year’s Day is a statutory holiday. In 2026, it falls on a Thursday, Jan. 1, giving you the perfect chance to sleep off the celebrations from the night before. It’s not too late to put in that vacation request for Friday, Jan. 2, and make it an extra-long weekend.
February
In several provinces across Canada, Monday, Feb. 16, is a statutory holiday; however, the reasons vary:
- PEI celebrates Islander Day
- Manitoba observes Louis Riel Day
- Nova Scotia takes time off for Heritage Day
- In B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and New Brunswick, the day is marked as Family Day
You could then take the rest of the week off from Feb. 17 to 20. With your time off bookended by two weekends, you can enjoy an extra-long vacation.
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April
In 2026, Good Friday is on April 3, and it’s an official national statutory holiday, except in Quebec.
Although Easter Monday, which falls on April 6, isn’t an official public holiday, it is observed in Quebec. Easter Monday is a non-working day for many employees nationwide, and many businesses are closed.
With this four-day long weekend, you could take off the four days leading up to Good Friday (Monday, March 30 to Thursday, April 2), including both weekends (March 28 to 29, and April 4 to 5). If you get Easter Monday off, that comes out to a total of 10 days.
Need a much longer vacation?
You could put in a request and include time off for the week before, from Monday, March 23, to Thursday, March 27. Including the weekend (March 21 to 22), you’re looking at 16 days off, while only taking nine days off work.
May
In 2026, Victoria Day falls on Monday, May 18, and is a stat holiday across most of Canada, except in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Make the most of this long weekend by taking time off work from Tuesday, May 19, to Friday, May 22. With both weekends included, that adds up to nine days off, while only using four vacation days.
July
July kicks off with Canada Day, so head out and enjoy some fun in the sun. In 2026, Canada Day is on Wednesday, July 1, is Canada Day. You can turn it into a longer break by taking two days off either before (Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30) or after (Thursday, July 2 and Friday, July 3) for a five-day vacation.
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August
Monday, Aug. 3, is a civic/provincial holiday in parts of Canada, including the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, B.C., and Saskatchewan. Put in a vacation request for Tuesday, Aug. 4, until Friday, Aug. 7, for a total of nine days off, including weekends.
September
Fall brings with it more stat holidays and the opportunity to plan your vacation around them.
Labour Day is a national stat holiday on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. Make the most of the long weekend by taking days off from Tuesday, Sept. 8, to Friday, Sept. 11.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation falls on Wednesday, Sept. 30. It’s a day off nationally for federally regulated workplaces only. Some provinces and territories have passed legislation to observe Sept. 30 as a stat holiday as well. If that’s the case for where you live, you can book Thursday, Oct. 1, to Friday, Oct. 2, for an extended break.
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October
Monday, Oct. 12, is Thanksgiving, which is observed as a national holiday across the country, except in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Schedule a few days off or take the rest of the week off for an extra-long break.
November
Wednesday, Nov. 11, is Remembrance Day, which is a stat holiday in all provinces and territories except Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Take off Monday, Nov. 9, and Tuesday, Nov. 10, for an extra-long weekend.
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December
Wrap up the year with some well-deserved time for rest and relaxation.
In 2026, Christmas, which is a national stat, falls on Friday, Dec. 25, with Boxing Day the following day on Saturday. When Boxing Day is on a weekend, employers typically give employees the following Monday off; however, it’s best to check first.
If your province or territory doesn’t observe Boxing Day as a stat, you could request days off from Monday, Dec. 28, to Thursday, Dec. 31. And since New Year’s Day is a statutory holiday, it’ll be an extra-long holiday vacation.
So make sure to check your calendar and start booking those getaways or staycations.