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 (like 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 2024
Date 2025
New Year's Day January 1, 2024 January 1, 2025
Nova Scotia Heritage Day February 19, 2024 February 17, 2025
Good Friday March 29, 2024 April 18, 2025
Easter Sunday March 31, 2024 April 20, 2025
Canada Day July 1, 2024 July 1, 2025
Labour Day September 2, 2024 September 1, 2025
Thanksgiving Day October 14, 2024 October 13, 2025
Christmas Day December 25, 2024 December 25, 2025
Boxing Day December 26, 2024 December 26, 2025

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.