Canadian holidays and restaurants: what is open in BC and Ontario (2026)

Canada has holidays that the whole country marks and holidays that only some provinces observe. For a diner, the difference affects which restaurants open, when they open and whether the menu or the bill is different. These are the holidays that matter in British Columbia and Ontario, and how to plan around them. Holiday hours change every year, so call ahead for the day you need.

Which holidays do BC and Ontario share?

Both provinces observe these public or statutory holidays:

• New Year's Day, 1 January.
• Family Day, the third Monday of February.
• Good Friday, the Friday before Easter.
• Victoria Day, the Monday before 25 May.
• Canada Day, 1 July.
• Labour Day, the first Monday of September.
• Thanksgiving, the second Monday of October.
• Christmas Day, 25 December.

Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are not statutory holidays in either province, though some businesses are closed or adjust hours on Easter Sunday.

How do BC and Ontario differ?

• British Columbia has B.C. Day, the first Monday of August, as a statutory holiday. In Ontario, the same Monday is the Civic Holiday, which many employers and municipalities observe (it carries local names, such as Simcoe Day in Toronto), but it is not on the list of public holidays under Ontario's Employment Standards Act.
• British Columbia has Remembrance Day, 11 November, and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, 30 September, as statutory holidays. Ontario's list of public holidays does not include either of them.
• Ontario has Boxing Day, 26 December, as a public holiday. British Columbia does not.

The practical result: on Boxing Day, many Ontario restaurants close or run reduced hours, and in British Columbia more businesses are open. On B.C. Day, Vancouver and Victoria restaurants may close, while Ontario restaurants treat the Civic Holiday Monday as a normal busy long weekend day.

Do restaurants close on statutory holidays?

Many do not. Restaurants are one of the businesses that traditionally open on holidays, and some of their busiest days are Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and long weekends. But smaller independent places often close on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Good Friday. Check hours before you go.

Do restaurants charge extra on holidays?

Some add a holiday surcharge on statutory holidays to help cover higher staff costs. If a restaurant does, it should say so on the menu, the booking page or the bill. If you see an unexpected charge, ask. Employees who work on a statutory holiday are normally paid a premium under provincial law, which is why some businesses add the charge.

When is it hardest to find a table?

• Mother's Day and Valentine's Day: book weeks ahead.
• Victoria Day, Canada Day and Labour Day weekends: many restaurants in tourist areas are full, and cottage country towns are crowded.
• Thanksgiving weekend: farm restaurants and hotels fill up.
• December: work parties and family dinners fill weekends from the start of the month.

Which kinds of places are usually open on holidays?

• Hotel restaurants and hotel bars.
• Chinese restaurants, which are open on Christmas Day in many cities.
• Fast-food and chain restaurants, with reduced hours.
• Cinemas, airports and transit stations, with food courts.
• Cafés in tourist areas, on summer holidays.

How do you plan?

1. Check the restaurant's own page, not a third-party listing.
2. Call if the page is unclear.
3. Book early for long weekends.
4. Have a back-up plan, such as a market, a picnic or a hotel restaurant.

Do grocery stores close on holidays?

Many grocery stores open with shorter hours, but some close on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Plan your shopping before a long weekend.

What about long weekends and cottage country?

Long weekends are when Torontonians head to Muskoka, Prince Edward County and Niagara, and when Vancouverites head to the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, Tofino and the Okanagan. Small-town restaurants can run out of tables and sometimes run out of food, so book accommodation and dinner together, and arrive for dinner earlier than you would at home. Grocery stores in small towns may have shorter hours on the holiday itself.

Do public transit and attractions change on holidays?

Usually, yes. Transit in Toronto and Vancouver commonly runs a holiday schedule, similar to a Sunday service, and museums and attractions may have reduced hours. If you are travelling to a restaurant by transit, check the schedule for the day you are going, particularly for the return trip.

How do you plan holiday meals ahead?

Holiday weekends are won by whoever planned in October. In the Mosey app, keep a list called Holiday tables with a note on each place such as "open last Boxing Day" or "booked well ahead", and add a tag like Group Dining for the ones that suit a family table. Invite relatives with the link so the people who cook, drive and book can all add to it.

Rate the dish after the meal and write what you would order again, so next year's planning starts from your own notes.

More guides to read next:

• Stratford, Ontario food guide: theatre-season dining, the farmers market and Perth County
• Tip screens on card machines in Ontario and BC: why they ask and how to choose your own amount
• Kingston, Ontario food guide: the Public Market, downtown and the Thousand Islands

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.

After your next holiday meal, open the Mosey app and rate the dish the whole table liked.