Here's the story behind BC's upcoming statutory holiday all about family

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BC’s next statutory holiday is almost here, and we can’t wait for the long weekend to kick back, relax, and let all our worries slip away.

February 19 will mark Family Day in the province, and as the name suggests, it’s a time to “give families the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones,” according to the BC Government.

There are plenty of statutory holidays that BC recognizes throughout the year, including Canada Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and Thanksgiving, to name a few. Family Day is a newer statutory holiday for the province, but you might not know its controversial backstory.

Family Day was established in BC in 2013. According to the BC Recreation and Parks Association, it was introduced to “recognize the great contributions that families make to our lives, our communities and our province.”

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Each year since, families across BC have gathered to support each other and have a good time. But BC was one of the latest provinces to introduce the day for familial love.

Alberta was the first province to introduce the statutory holiday in 1990 under the Premier at the time, Don Getty. However, for a day supposed to be about support and love, the legislation came under a lot of fire.

According to the Calgary Herald and archives, the controversy came on two fronts.

Firstly, people were apparently concerned about the increasing number of statutory holidays affecting employers and the productivity of businesses.

The other controversy surrounded Getty’s true intentions behind Family Day. Some people believed that the day was established as a response to a cocaine possession scandal one of the former Premier’s sons was involved in at the time. According to an archive, “Premier Getty was obviously embarrassed by the revelation and admitted publicly that he had neglected his family, saying that it was important for all Albertans to take more care with their families also.”

Regardless of how Family Day came about, it’s now a well-established statutory holiday in BC. Let’s make sure we use the day to surround ourselves with loved ones.