What’s open and closed in Toronto on Monday for the Queen’s funeral

Some services and businesses in Toronto will be closed next Monday, while most will remain open as provinces across the country observe the funeral for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that Sept. 19 will be a federal holiday.

Shortly after the announcement, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business issued a statement urging provincial governments not to declare Monday as a statutory holiday, saying that the six-day notice would be “deeply unfair for small businesses and cost the economy billions.”

“Small businesses are already struggling with labour shortages and requiring them to close or pay time-and a-half to their employees with no notice would be extremely costly or result in a day’s lost productivity.”

Here’s what’s open and closed in Toronto next Monday:

Roughly 319,000 federal government employees will receive a paid day off work next Monday for the federal holiday.

This includes public service employees at Passport Canada, Public Health Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, RCMP civilian staff, Global Affairs, Employment and Social Development Canada, and employees of the House of Commons, the Senate, the Library of Parliament.

Federal labour minister Seamus O’Regan tweeted that while Sept. 19 will be a stat for public servants, federally regulated private sector employers are not required to give staff the day off but “are welcomed to follow suit.”

This means approximately 910,000 federally regulated private sector workers won’t be getting a long weekend.

There are approximately 18,000 Canadian employers who fall within the federally regulated private sector. It will be up to them to determine whether to grant their employees the day off to mourn the Queen. This list includes: banks, air transportation, telecommunications and broadcasting, feed, flour, seed and grain mills, Crown corporations including Canada Post, pipelines crossing provincial borders, rail and road transportation that crosses provincial or international borders, and marine transportation.

In Toronto, city staff will observe 96 seconds of silence in the Peace Garden at City Hall, according to a Wednesday news release. The garden was “dedicated by The Queen in 1984” during a visit to Toronto.

All TTC vehicles will pause for 96 seconds at 1 p.m. as part of a ‘stop and stay’ tribute. Subway trains will be held at their platforms, Wheel-Trans vehicles will stop briefly, and buses and streetcars will halt at regular stops “until the moment of silence” is finished.

Most services will remain open and unaffected next Monday, including grocery stores, shopping malls, and other private sector businesses.

September 19, 2022 will be a holiday for federal government employees. It will be a day of mourning for the passing of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.

Federally regulated employers are welcomed to follow suit, but they are not required to do so.

— Seamus O’Regan Jr (@SeamusORegan) September 13, 2022

Here’s what each province is doing next Monday:

Alberta

The Alberta government has not released any information publicly about whether the province will mark next Monday a public holiday to mourn the late Queen on the day of her state funeral.

British Columbia

The province is taking the lead from the federal government and closing its kindergarten to Grade 12 public schools and public post-secondary institutions, as well as most Crown corporations on Monday to mark the Queen’s funeral.

British Columbia says it will follow the federal government’s lead to observe the national day of mourning to mark the queen’s funeral.

“We encourage private-sector employers to find a way to recognize or reflect on the day in a way that is appropriate for their employees,” said B.C. Premier John Horgan in a statement.

Manitoba

All non-essential government services and offices will be closed for the day. Schools, however, will remain open and classes will be in session, and child-care facilities will also be open. The health-care system will continue to operate as usual, according to a news release from the Government of Manitoba.

“I encourage all Manitobans to take a moment to reflect on Her late Majesty’s special relationship with our province and her countless contributions to our country and the entire Commonwealth,” said Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson.

New Brunswick

Government offices and schools in New Brunswick will be closed next Monday, as part of the National Day of Mourning for the passing of the Queen.

“This one-time provincial and national holiday is intended to honour the Queen and pay respect to her life of service to Canada and to the Commonwealth of Nations on the day of her funeral,” reads the province’s press release.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador has declared Sept. 19 as a day to “honour the memory of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II,” the government said on Twitter.

This will be a one-time-only holiday, in which provincial government offices, schools and other entities will be closed, while the holiday remains optional for private business and employers.

Nova Scotia

Provincial government offices, schools and other entities will be closed to observe the one-time only provincial holiday in honour of the late Queen.

“This will allow public service employees the time to pay their respects to Her Majesty and commemorate Her reign, while marking the final day of the period of national mourning,” reads a press release from the province.

The province encourages businesses and other organizations to commemorate the Queen “in a manner that works best for them,” adding that flags at provincial government buildings across Nova Scotia are being flown at half-mast in honour of the late monarch.

Ontario

The province will not declare Monday a public holiday, confirmed Premier Doug Ford‘s office.

Instead, the province will mark Sept. 19 as a provincial “Day of Mourning” for Ontarians, and a moment of silence will be observed at 1 p.m. ET that day, Ford said in a statement.

“This will give all Ontarians an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable life of Queen Elizabeth II and her unrelenting commitment to service and duty,” reads the statement.

Ford says his decision to opt out of a stat holiday allows students to remain in class and learn about the contributions the Queen made to the people of Ontario, Canada and the Commonwealth, and learn about the accession of King Charles III.

“We encourage all Ontarians to use this day to honour Her Majesty and pay tribute to the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind,” the statement said.

There will be a national commemorative ceremony and memorial parade to honour the late Queen, with a ceremony at the Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa at 11 a.m. preceded by a memorial parade and a 96-gun salute — one shot for each year of Her Majesty’s life and a flypast of Royal Canadian Air Force CF‑18s. The events will be broadcast live.

Prince Edward Island

Government officials have designated Sept. 19 as a one-time statutory holiday in Prince Edward Island.

“September 19, 2022 will be treated like other statutory holidays as outlined in the Employment Standards Act for all provincially regulated employees,” said officials in a tweet.

Quebec

Quebec’s Premier François Legault said the province will mark next Monday as a day of commemoration but said it will not be a public holiday.

“First I think about the students and I wouldn’t like them to miss school, we’ve had enough with the pandemic. I think it’s not a good idea to close schools or put parents in a position where they wouldn’t be able to work,” Legault told reporters at a campaign stop in Montreal, adding he will continue to campaign.

Saskatchewan

The province has designated Monday as a “day in tribute and commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II,” but it is not a provincial statutory holiday.

“Her late Majesty’s seven decades of selfless public service is an honourable legacy,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in a news release. “We will pay tribute to her incredible dedication and commemorate her 70-year reign in a memorial service in our capital city — the Queen City.”

Territories

Officials in Northwest Territories and Nunavut have not confirmed whether or not Monday will be a public holiday.

Yukon’s government said on Wednesday it will observe a national day of mourning, with a one-time holiday for public sector workers. Public schools and other public services will be closed on Monday.