Trivia Question❓

Which Canadian province is the only one that is officially bilingual in English and French: Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick or Quebec?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Newcomer Digest – Thursday's Edition

By the Newcomer Digest Team · A weekly guide for newcomers to Canada

Thanksgiving is Monday, October 12, and whether it is a paid day off depends on where you work. This week, we show you how to check yours before your next pay stub.

In this issue:

The story: Why Thanksgiving pay is not the same everywhere
What it means: The rules that decide your holiday pay
What to do: Four checks before Monday
Resource: Your province's employment standards office

Featured Story

Thanksgiving Monday: Will You Be Paid?

A woman checking her phone and laptop at a kitchen table

Holiday pay depends on where you work, how long you have worked there, and the shifts around the holiday.

The schedule is posted. Monday is Thanksgiving. Maybe your name is on it. Maybe it is not. Either way, you are asking the same question: will I be paid for this day?

Here is the short answer. It depends on three things.

Where your job is regulated. Federally regulated workplaces, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec treat Thanksgiving as a statutory holiday. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick do not treat it as a paid statutory holiday.
How long you have worked there. Some provinces ask for a minimum time on the job. Others do not.
Your shifts around the holiday. In Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, missing the shift before or after without approval can cost you the pay.

Read the full guide on our website

What This Means for You

The rule depends on your province, not your permit

Here is what the official government pages say for 2026. These are minimum rules. Your contract or a union agreement may give you more.

Federally regulated workplaces: Thanksgiving is one of 10 general holidays. Pay is at least 1/20 of your wages from the 4 weeks before the holiday week, not counting overtime. If you work, most employees are paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate, plus the holiday pay.
Ontario: One of 9 public holidays. Most employees qualify if they work their last scheduled shift before and first scheduled shift after the holiday. If you agree to work, you choose: holiday pay plus 1.5 times your pay for the hours worked, or regular pay plus another paid day off.
Alberta: One of 9 general holidays. You need at least 30 workdays with the same employer in the past 12 months. Missing your last shift before or first shift after, without your employer's consent, can also cost you the pay.
British Columbia: One of 11 statutory holidays in 2026. You qualify if you have worked for your employer at least 30 calendar days and worked or earned wages on 15 of those 30 days. Pay is an average day's pay.
Quebec: One of 8 statutory holidays. No minimum time on the job, even for temporary or on-call workers. You can lose the pay if you are absent without a valid reason or approval on the workday before or after.
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick: Not a paid statutory holiday in either province. Your employer may still choose to pay it.

Other provinces and territories: check your government's page (links below).

Where newcomers commonly go wrong:

Assuming every province pays for Thanksgiving. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick do not.
Thinking new or part-time workers are not covered. Ontario and Quebec set no minimum time on the job.
Skipping the shift before or after the holiday. In Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, that can cost you the pay.
Assuming a work permit changes the rule. IRCC says temporary foreign workers are protected by Canada's labour laws.

What You Can Do Now

Four checks before Monday

Find your rule. Open your province's employment standards page (links below). Search for "statutory holiday" or "public holiday."
Protect your pay. Do not miss your last scheduled shift before Monday, or your first shift after it, without your employer's approval.
Ask in writing. Send your manager or payroll: "Am I scheduled on October 12? If I work, will I get premium pay or another paid day off?"
Read your pay stub. Check the pay period that includes October 12 for a holiday pay or premium pay line. If it looks wrong, ask payroll first. Your province's employment standards office can answer questions after that.

Ontario: public holidays guide
Alberta: general holidays
British Columbia: statutory holidays
Quebec: statutory holidays (CNESST)
Federally regulated workplaces: general holidays

Helpful Resource

Employment standards offices, by province

Canada.ca lists the employment standards office for every province and territory, including the ones not covered here. The page is written for temporary foreign workers, but the list works for any worker.

Website: Employment standards offices on Canada.ca
Federal labour standards phone line (federally regulated workplaces): 1-800-641-4049

Know a newcomer who works shifts? Forward this edition to them.

Which workplace question should we answer next? Reply to this email and tell us.

From the publisher

Today's newsletter is brought to you by:

How does your child learn best?

Answer 7 quick questions and get a free, personalized study-style report by email. No login needed.

Then talk to certified teachers about a plan that fits: online tutoring, or in-home tutoring in Edmonton.

8-year Consumer Choice Award winner, Northern Alberta

💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

New Brunswick. English and French are both official languages of the province.

Before you go

Every newcomer has questions that nobody answers clearly. We answer them one at a time, in plain language, with sources you can check.

Your turn. Reply to this email with the one question you'd like us to cover next. Your replies shape what we write.

Know someone new to Canada? Forward this email to them. It's the best way to help.

Missed an issue? Read them all at newcomerdigest.com/archives.