Ontario proposes allowing retail stores to open on Family Day and Victoria Day, removing municipal closure powers

The Ontario government says it is proposing changes that would let retail stores open on Family Day and Victoria Day across the province and would end municipalities’ ability to require stores to close on those two holidays. Ontario says it is aiming to have the changes in place by Victoria Day 2026.

If the proposal is approved, it would replace the current mix of municipal rules with a single province-wide rule for Family Day and Victoria Day. Stores would generally be allowed to choose whether to open, and the proposal would not require stores to operate on either holiday.

According to the province’s news release, the changes would remove Family Day and Victoria Day from the application of Ontario’s Retail Business Holidays Act, which is the mechanism the province says would also remove municipal authority to mandate retail closures on those days.

The proposal would apply only to Family Day and Victoria Day. The province says existing provincial and municipal authority to require retail business closures on other public holidays would remain.

Ontario says Family Day and Victoria Day would remain public holidays under the Employment Standards Act, 2000, meaning employee protections under that law would still apply. The province listed those protections as including public holiday pay, premium pay and, for many retail employees, the right to refuse work on a public holiday.

For eligible retail employees who work on Family Day or Victoria Day, Ontario says they could earn time-and-a-half premium pay and still receive their full public holiday pay.

In the release, Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Minister Stephen Crawford said the proposal would give retailers the option to open on the two holidays and would maintain workers’ right to take the day off.

Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Minister David Piccini said the government is “exploring a consistent, province-wide approach for retailers on Family Day and Victoria Day” while “respecting the choice of workers.”