Family Day is observed in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick on the third Monday of February. This holiday celebrates the importance of families and family life to people and their communities.
The history behind Family Day goes back to 1990 where the first Family Day was held in Canada in the province of Alberta. It is supposed to reflect the values of family and home that were important to the pioneers who founded Alberta, and give workers the opportunity to spend more time with their families. Family Day was introduced in Saskatchewan in 2007 and in Ontario in 2008. British Columbia observed Family Day as a statutory holiday for the first time in 2013. One of the reasons for introducing Family Day was that there was a long period when there were no holidays from New Year’s Day until Good Friday.
Manitoba recognizes this holiday as Louis Riel Day; in Nova Scotia it is Nova Scotia Heritage Day; and in Prince Edward Island it is Islander Day.
Please take this opportunity to spend time with your family and enjoy one another. Many private businesses, as well as union and government offices, close their doors on this statutory holiday. The First District Office will also be recognizing this day and will re-open on Tuesday, February 19th, 2019.