Holiday and Retail Closing Day Charts

Holiday and Retail Closing Day Charts : NS Labour and Advanced Education, Employment Rights

Find out who is entitled to a paid holiday or how to calculate the benefit.

The Remembrance Day holiday is governed by the Remembrance Day Act. Some employees may be entitled to a benefit.

Non-Statutory Holidays

Some days, such as Easter Monday, Victoria Day, and Natal Day, are commonly recognized as holidays but are not paid general holidays under the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code or retail closing days. Retail businesses are free to open and employees who have the right to refuse to work on retail closing days do not have the right to refuse to work on these days.

Employers may agree to provide their employees with additional paid holidays (e.g., Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Natal Day) and the Labour Standards Division may be able to enforce such an agreement.


Designated retail closing days in Nova Scotia

Closing Day
Date 2022
Date 2023
New Year's Day January 1, 2022 January 1, 2023
Nova Scotia Heritage Day February 21, 2022 February 20, 2023
Good Friday April 15, 2022 April 7, 2023
Easter Sunday April 17, 2022 April 9, 2023
Canada Day July 1, 2022 July 1, 2023
Labour Day September 5, 2022 September 4, 2023
Thanksgiving Day October 10, 2022 October 9, 2023
Christmas Day December 25, 2022 December 25, 2023
Boxing Day December 26, 2022 December 26, 2023

Jours désignés de fermeture des commerces de détail en Nouvelle-Écosse

For more information on retail closing days, please see our Guide to the Code.

Remembrance Day has different closing rules.