Stat Holidays BC 2026: Full List, Dates & Rules

If you’re planning time off in 2026, getting a handle on BC’s statutory holidays is worth doing early. There are 11 official stat holidays in British Columbia, with the first one landing on Thursday, January 1. I’ve mapped out the complete 2026 calendar with official dates, pay entitlements, and the few rules that differ from federal holidays.

Total Statutory Holidays in BC 2026: 11 · Provincial Holidays: 2 · Federal Holidays Observed: 9 · Next Holiday: Victoria Day, May 25 · New Holiday in 2026: National Truth and Reconciliation Day

The table below lists all 11 statutory holidays in BC for 2026, including the day of week for each date.

What are the stat holidays in BC in 2026?

BC recognizes 11 statutory holidays under the Employment Standards Act (ESA), with two additional days (Easter Monday and Boxing Day) treated differently depending on your employer (ST Lawyers). The list kicks off with New Year’s Day on Thursday, January 1, 2026, and runs through the full year with each holiday falling on its calendar date.

January to March

New Year’s Day opens the year on January 1 (Thursday). Family Day follows on Monday, February 16 — BC’s designated February stat holiday. Good Friday lands on April 3 (Friday), giving some workers a long weekend to start the spring season.

April to June

Victoria Day 2026 falls on Monday, May 25 — the last Monday before May 31. Note that one source lists May 18, though most publications confirm May 25 as the correct date (Citation Canada). Good Friday on April 3 is the only other spring holiday in this window.

July to September

Canada Day arrives on Wednesday, July 1. B.C. Day follows on Monday, August 3. Labour Day closes out summer on Monday, September 7, and the new National Day for Truth and Reconciliation falls on Wednesday, September 30 — a key addition for 2026.

October to December

Thanksgiving Day lands on Monday, October 12. Remembrance Day is Wednesday, November 11. Christmas Day closes the year on Friday, December 25, with Boxing Day on Saturday, December 26 — though Boxing Day is not technically a statutory holiday in BC, many employers grant it as a paid day off.

The implication: With smart scheduling, BC workers can turn 8 traditional holidays into 16 days off by leveraging adjacent weekends, especially around Victoria Day, Labour Day, and the December period.

What are the Canadian holidays for 2026?

Federal statutory holidays observed across Canada include New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, and Christmas. British Columbia supplements these with Family Day (February 16) and B.C. Day (August 3) — two holidays unique to the province (ST Lawyers).

Federal vs Provincial Differences

BC follows the Employment Standards Act (ESA) for most private-sector workers, but federally regulated workplaces (banks, airlines, telecommunications) follow the Canada Labour Code instead. The two systems have different holiday pay calculations — federal employees typically receive a different premium structure when working on holidays (Ascent Employment Law).

BC’s formula for calculating stat holiday pay differs from Ontario and Quebec. BC uses actual wages earned in the 30 calendar days before the holiday divided by days actually worked — this gives a true average daily pay (Workzoom). Ontario uses a fixed /20 divisor regardless of days worked. Quebec applies a /20 formula for most workers and /60 for commission-based employees.

BC-Specific Additions

Family Day (third Monday in February) and B.C. Day (first Monday in August) are the two province-specific statutory holidays that federal employees in BC may not automatically receive. Some public sector employers like UBC go further, adding Easter Monday and Boxing Day as paid holidays beyond the ESA list — though these are not required by law (UBC HR).

The trade-off: BC’s actual-days-worked formula generally benefits part-time workers, while Ontario’s fixed divisor can understate true earnings. For full-time workers with consistent schedules, the difference is minimal.

What is the new statutory holiday in 2026?

National Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30 became a federal statutory holiday in 2021. In BC, it has been observed as a provincial statutory holiday since then, falling on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The day honours residential school survivors, their families, and the children who never returned home.

National Truth and Reconciliation Day Details

The day carries significant weight in BC, where residential school history is particularly significant. Eligibility for this holiday follows standard ESA rules: 30 calendar days employed with 15 days worked in that period (ST Lawyers).

Is Easter Monday a stat holiday in BC?

No, Easter Monday is not a statutory holiday in British Columbia. It is a optional or employer-granted day off. Unlike Good Friday (which is statutory), Easter Monday falls outside the ESA’s mandatory list (Burke Recruiting).

Easter Holiday Rules

Only Good Friday carries statutory holiday status in the BC Easter period. Employers may choose to grant Easter Monday as a paid benefit — major public sector employers like UBC do so — but they have no legal obligation to do so. If you work on Easter Monday without an employer policy granting a substitute day, you receive regular pay only.

Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in BC?

No, Boxing Day (December 26) is not a statutory holiday in BC. The ESA lists Christmas Day as the holiday and does not include December 26. However, many BC employers still provide it as a paid day off, particularly in unionized workplaces and large corporate environments (Burke Recruiting).

Boxing Day Observance

If December 26 falls on a Saturday (as it does in 2026) and your employer observes Boxing Day, the substitute day for employees who don’t work weekends may shift to the following Monday. Hospitality and retail workers may have different rules depending on industry-specific collective agreements.

The pattern: BC workers who receive Boxing Day as a paid day off typically rely on employer generosity rather than legal entitlement, making contract review essential before December.

The following table cross-references key claims from the article against their source materials and confidence levels.

BC Stat Holiday Pay Rules

Stat holiday pay in BC is calculated using a formula that reflects your actual work pattern over the preceding 30 calendar days. Take your total regular wages (excluding overtime) earned in the 30 days before the holiday and divide by the number of days you actually worked in that period. That result is your stat holiday pay for the day off (ST Lawyers).

For example, if you earned $3,000 over 15 working days in the 30-day period, your stat holiday pay equals $200. Paid vacation days and paid sick days count toward the days-worked requirement — this helps part-time workers who have taken time off recently (Employment Hero).

If you work on a stat holiday, your employer must pay you 1.5 times your regular hourly wage for the first 12 hours worked and 2 times your regular hourly wage for any hours beyond 12, plus the stat holiday pay on top (ST Lawyers).

Summary

BC workers have 11 statutory holidays in 2026, with eligibility rules that reward consistent employment. The province’s actual-days-worked formula for stat holiday pay is more worker-friendly than Ontario’s fixed divisor, and the 30/15 eligibility threshold means part-timers who have been on the job for a month qualify. For BC employees, the key action is straightforward: check your employment contract for Easter Monday and Boxing Day, confirm your eligibility before each holiday, and know your premium pay entitlements if you work on a stat day.