Canadians Are Arguing That Remembrance Day Should Be A Stat Holiday And It's Getting Heated
Every year we commemorate Remembrance Day on November 11th and every year the same question comes up - why isn't it a statutory holiday? In some provinces it is. In fact, nine out of 13 provinces and territories mark it as one.
For those other four provinces, the ongoing debate this year has many Canadians arguing that Remembrance Day should be a full stat holiday. Their position, however, is controversial.
In Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and the North West Territories, Remembrance Day is observed but not as a statutory holiday. That means in those four places, there are no days off to mark the occasion or any of the other benefits that come with a stat holiday.
Because of this, Remembrance Day is actually one of the most controversial holidays, since Canadians can't agree on how exactly to commemorate it. People who think it should be a stat holiday have taken to Twitter to express why.
Remembrance day isn’t a country wide Stat holiday in Canada,and I can’t think of a reason why any other holiday would be more important to our country. Literally the day the we remember that the planet barely survived, 6 years of pure horror. But christmas and fairy tales right ?
I have to work on Remembrance Day and i’m kind of annoyed that its not a stat holiday because I wanted to participate in going to a ceremony with my parents to show my respect.
It's on a Sunday this year so no problem. However this is made much easier if, like Nova Scotia, Remembrance Day was made a stat holiday. https://t.co/D7tUpSNsSL
Many of them, especially in Ontario, point out that it would be much easier to actually attend Remembrance Day ceremonies if they didn't have to work. Others argue that it is the most important thing we celebrate all year, so it should get the same treatment as holidays like Christmas.
On the flip side of the argument, others strongly believe that Remembrance Day is better off not being an official stat holiday. They think that children learn more about it when they go to school and have assemblies for it on the day instead. They also highlight the obvious risk of it just becoming another party day or long weekend in Canada.
As a air cadet in Ontario, I remember that WWII vets also opposed Remembrance Day as a stat holiday because it took kids away from classroom-based activities focused on remembrance. I think there is a risk that this becomes another long weekend at the cottage.
I feel making Remembrance Day a Holliday isn't the answer, when our children are in school their learning, they attend assemblies, read Flanders Field, they take those 5 mins of silence, a holiday I believe would end this,
Officially in Canada, Remembrance Day is a national statutory holiday just like Christmas or Canada Day. However, in this case, the provinces choose whether or not to observe it. For Canadians in places where it is still a stat holiday, the official day off will fall on Monday, November 12th since the actual Remembrance Day is on a Sunday this year.