Should there be another statutory holiday between now and Easter?

[T_Totler]

Here's an editorial in the Toronto Sun that caught my attention yesterday.

I'm fortunate in that I have 5 weeks' paid vacation and can take a few days off here and there, but for many who don't, I think the time has come for an additional statutory holiday between now and Easter.

I totally support this.

How about you?

Is this the wrong time to suggest Canadians deserve a new statutory holiday?

Granted, calling for another holiday on the first day of the New Year — a holiday — may seem a bit presumptuous on our part.

But hear us out on this.

We argue our timing is perfect, because the new holiday Canadians desperately need is the one we should insert between today and the next holiday, which isn’t until Easter.

That’s never made any sense to us.

Look at it this way. Easter — which comes in April or occasionally late March, is the holiday that signals the coming of spring. Then they flow in a logical progression — Victoria Day in May to signal the approach of summer, Canada Day on July 1 , when vacation season begins, the Civic Holiday, or, if you prefer, Lord Simcoe Day ( in Ontario) in early August, marking the mid-point of summer, and then Labour Day at the start of September — signifying the return to school and work and the coming busy fall season.

That’s followed by the October, or fall, holiday of Thanksgiving, setting us up nicely for the Christmas - New Year holiday period ending today . (Although this year, most schools won’t be going back until next Monday, meaning things should be relatively quiet on our roads this week.) But then what? Here it is January 1 again and what are we now facing?

The annual holiday famine until Easter, when, in fact, we need another holiday on the horizon the most. While the days are actually starting to get longer, this is the time of year when those days seem their longest and darkest, with many people getting up in the morning and coming home from work in the dark — literally, if not figuratively .

Then there’s all that shovelling and trudging through the snow — perhaps more figuratively than literally this winter, but hey, it’s still early.

All of which brings us to our point — and we do have one. That is that February is the month when people most need a break, a long weekend, and don’t get one. Call it Flag Day. Call it Heritage Day. Call it Blah Day. Call it anything . But give us a break!

Somewhere between New Year and Easter, that is.
http://www.torontosun.com/Comment/Commentary/2007/01/01/3115677.html

[Paul Stanway Jr]

IMHO... there should be a holiday every month. ;)

[T_Totler]

IMHO... there should be a holiday every month. ;)
Easy now...

We don't want to become another France now do we?? :d

[reiver]

Personally, I'd rather see one in June when we have a chance of enjoying the weather.

[Limey32]

I have a month or 2 off every time this year (layoffs).. which suits me fine. This is too long a stretch without a long weekend however.

[Mischief007]

IMHO... there should be a holiday every month. ;)

I totally agree :).

[Les Shaw]

Employers then will be forced to pay people for doing nothing.. and employers get ripped off

[Thaiwoo]

Not really for it.

Try to come up with a Holiday these days that everybody can agree on! Good luck with that.

Holidays have become so commercial that it is a pain in the but. So we need another one that is trying to get into our wallets?

[Glen]

I'm all for it....

[eddyk]

Yes there should be a holiday but try selling that to the business classes who constantly complain that it is a luxury they cannot afford.

The US have two holidays in this period. Martin Luther King Day in late January and Presidents' Day (an amalgamation of two former holidays, Washington's Birthday and Lincoln's Birthday).

[Mouse]

I vote for St.Patty's Day. :hhx: (If anyone says Valentine's Day, I'll bit their ankle)


Employers then will be forced to pay people for doing nothing.. and employers get ripped off
The cost of same would be passed on to the ultimate consumer, same as everything else.

[dawtcalm]

Not really for it.

Try to come up with a Holiday these days that everybody can agree on! Good luck with that.

Holidays have become so commercial that it is a pain in the but. So we need another one that is trying to get into our wallets?

It can be a civic holiday...
I'm all for one near the end of Feb blahs...

[T_Totler]

Something else that has been discussed over the years is whether or not to make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday.

Government institutions and banks already treat it as such.

:rrg:

[reiver]

Employers then will be forced to pay people for doing nothing.. and employers get ripped off

Do you make Bob Cratchit work Christmas Day too, Ebeneezer?

[dawtcalm]

Something else that has been discussed over the years is whether or not to make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday.

Government institutions and banks already treat it as such.
:rrg:

And it already is in B.C.

[Bogie]

We used to have one every week - it was called Sunday.

No stores were open, no businesses were open, it was even hard to find a gas station that was open. BUT greedy employers wanted more sales (false logic), non-Christians said it was discriminatory, "employees wouldn't have to work if they didn't want to" (that was the biggest laugh), and the 'day of rest' and 'family day' disappeared (forget that the reason was a religious one in the first place).

Now that the barn door was left open, and the horse got out ..... we will never have a real holiday again. I'm surprised that businesses even close on Christmas Day - after all, it is a 'religious' holiday for Christians. This not a rant on religion, but to point out that we will never have a real holiday for everyone ever again now that "freedom" has got out of hand.

[Werefox]

WTB Chinese New Year

[Bogie]

Something else that has been discussed over the years is whether or not to make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday.

And it already is in B.C.
Best idea ever put forth ... but soon we forget ...

I still have the poppy on my jacket and someone laughed at it the other day and said, "You forgot to take your poppy off!". My reply was simply, "If I recall they fought for our freedom more than one day, and don't forget Afghanistan ... lest we forget" No further comment was given.

We are removed from these present-day wars, battles, and loss of life. We live in a pampered and prosperous society. It's too easy to ignore and forget.

Mandatory holiday - just like Christmas ... everyone gets the day off.

[peavyjay]

WHO voted NO???? Shame on them.

[Limey32]

We used to have one every week - it was called Sunday.

No stores were open, no businesses were open, it was even hard to find a gas station that was open. BUT greedy employers wanted more sales (false logic), non-Christians said it was discriminatory, "employees wouldn't have to work if they didn't want to" (that was the biggest laugh), and the 'day of rest' and 'family day' disappeared (forget that the reason was a religious one in the first place).

Now that the barn door was left open, and the horse got out ..... we will never have a real holiday again. I'm surprised that businesses even close on Christmas Day - after all, it is a 'religious' holiday for Christians. This not a rant on religion, but to point out that we will never have a real holiday for everyone ever again now that "freedom" has got out of hand.



No joke.. it was on the news Christmas Eve.. what was it, Pac Bell or something mall in Toronto was open Christmas day!!! I'm not familiar with Toronto so I might have gotten the name of the mall wrong, but still.. it blew me away.

[Limey32]

Best idea ever put forth ... but soon we forget ...

I still have the poppy on my jacket and someone laughed at it the other day and said, "You forgot to take your poppy off!". My reply was simply, "If I recall they fought for our freedom more than one day, and don't forget Afghanistan ... lest we forget" No further comment was given.

We are removed from these present-day wars, battles, and loss of life. We live in a pampered and prosperous society. It's too easy to ignore and forget.

Mandatory holiday - just like Christmas ... everyone gets the day off.


That is something nobody should argue with.. hmm.. day off to remember every fallen soldier is a no go, but time off for New Years day well heck yes!! LMBO..

[T_Totler]

Ontarians want holiday to beat winter blues (http://www.680news.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20070201_065635_2788)

Most of the province - 70 per cent - thinks the government should implement a statutory holiday in the month of February, a new 680News/S.E.S. poll finds...
Almost a mirror image of the poll here :)

[Frogy]

This holiday already exists in February for many government employees. (varies by contract)

[Mouse]

Yep.

Sunnybrook has the 18th off this month. They get 5 a year, 1 for each month without a holiday already in it.

Nice, eh??

[Steven]

I voted "no".
The problems with our system are far deeper than one more day can give us.
I work nights, 11pm to 7am, Thurs to Monday. Another holiday somewhere in there would mean nothing to me. No, i'm not beeing greedy, there are many in my situation. It wasn't my choice.
Another holiday wont help.

[T_Totler]

What a timely resurrection to this thread :) ....

Toronto MP calls for national paid holiday in February (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/02/15/statutory-holiday.html)


National Flag Day should be a statutory holiday for Canadians across the country, says a Toronto NDP MP.

Peggy Nash, MP for Parkdale-High Park, was expected to table on Thursday a private member's bill that asks the federal government to make Flag Day, Feb. 15, a legal federal holiday.

[Mouse]

Then screw the 15th.

Make it the 3rd Monday, and be done with it.

:)

[bpbpbp]

Make the whole week of easter-weekdays a holiday ...

[T_Totler]

Well, here's the latest on this...

It must be election time in Ontario eh? lol

The provincial Liberals are promising to give Ontarians a long weekend in February if they are re-elected.

"In our party's platform, which will presented in a few days, we will include a provision to create a new statutory holiday in the month of February," campaign chair Greg Sorbara announced today.

The holiday would fall on the third Monday in February, which is already known as Heritage day in most of Canada. So far the Liberals are calling their proposed day off "family day."...
Full story here (http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/252698)