British Columbia has announced that National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be a paid statutory holiday in B.C.
CIFRS National Day of Truth & Reconciliation
The Federal government declared Sept. 30 the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to commemorate the history and ongoing trauma caused by residential schools and to honour the survivors in June of 2021.
It is a federal statutory holiday. Since 2021, provincial public-sector employers, including public schools, have recognized the federal holiday on Sept. 30.
The bill was introduced in the legislature by Labour Minister Harry Bains on Tuesday which will designate Sept. 30 as a provincial statutory holiday beginning this year and for every year thereafter.
“Many British Columbians have been marking Orange Shirt Day with humility, respect and reflection in their own ways for years,” said Premier David Eby in a news release. “Today, we are taking the important step to enshrine this day in law to acknowledge the wrongdoings of the past, and to take meaningful action toward reconciliation.”
If the legislation passes, British Columbia will join Canada, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon as jurisdictions that have designated Sept. 30 as a statutory holiday.
British Columbia now has 11 statutory holidays:
- New Year’s Day: Sunday, January 1, 2023
- Family Day (Third Monday in February): Monday, February 20, 2023
- Good Friday: Friday, April 7, 2023
- Victoria Day (Monday before May 25): Monday, May 22, 2023
- Canada Day: Saturday, July 1, 2023
- B.C. Day: Monday, August 7, 2023
- Labour Day (First Monday in September): Monday, September 4, 2023
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Saturday, September 30, 2023
- Thanksgiving Day Second (Monday in October): Monday, October 9, 2023
- Remembrance Day: Saturday, November 11, 2023
- Christmas Day: Monday, December 25, 2023