Ontario Civic Holiday
Ontario Civic Holiday is observed on the first Monday in August in Ontario, Canada, and is a holiday that was not created for any particular religious or historical event. It’s an excuse for a 3-day weekend, and many businesses across Ontario give their employees the day off, although it’s not required. That’s why Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are commonly referred to as the August Long Weekend. In Toronto, this day is often referred to as Simcoe Day. On this first Monday in August, a variety of different Civic Holidays are observed across Canada. These include British Columbia Day, New Brunswick Day, and Natal Day in Nova Scotia.
Canada (Local observance) - OntarioThe History of Ontario Civic Holiday
In Canada, the tradition of a holiday in the middle of summer goes back to the mid-19th century. In 1875, the first August Civic Holiday in Toronto was created, but the idea of a Civic Day soon spread to other provinces. In Ontario, Civic Holiday is a non-statutory holiday. This means that federal government offices are closed, but employers are under no obligation to treat this day as a holiday and give their employees a day off. Even so, many Ontario businesses do give their employees the day off.
Some Great Facts About Ontario, Canada
Since this holiday is an Ontario-based one, we thought we’d cover some of the things that we learned about this province during the course of our research. Anyone interested in learning more about Ontario or Ontario Civic Holiday may want to take a moment to check out the following facts.
- Ontario’s official motto is “Loyal She Began, Loyal She Remains.”
- The official flower of Ontario is the Trillium. The official gem is Amethyst.
- Ontario’s official bird, chosen in June of 1994, is the Common Loon.
- The official tree of Ontario is the Eastern White Pine.
- Currently, Ontario has a population of over 14 million people.
- Ontario covers over a million square kilometers.
- Ontario is also home to more than a quarter of a million lakes.
- NHL player Wayne Gretzky was born in Brantford, Ontario, in 1961.
Observing Ontario Civic Holiday
Since this day occurs at the tail end of a weekend, many people in Ontario use it to spend some time with their families. This can be done by taking a trip, going on a picnic, or observing this day in some other way. To spread the word about this day, people sometimes use the hashtag #OntarioCivicHoliday on social media.
Canada (Local observance) - Ontario
