As many of you may already be aware, In an effort to give Canadians a day to reflect on the legacy of residential schools, the Canadian government recently established A Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a national holiday that will fall on September 30th all over the country. However, the Alberta Government has decided not to recognize this as a stat, instead, giving employers the choice of whether or not they’d like to offer the day off – so what exactly does this mean?
Curiocity actually reached out to the Alberta Government’s Indigenous Relations Department and this is what we learned.
Though September 30th will not be listed as an official statuary holiday in Alberta, employers are still encouraged to give their employees time off.
Also, Federally regulated workplaces such as airports, the post office, and banks, will be closed – just as they would for other holidays like Labour Day or Thanksgiving but will open the following Friday for business as usual.
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In response to one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and to commemorate the legacy of residential schools, we introduced legislation to make September 30th the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – and this evening, it received Royal Assent. https://t.co/FeIs80DwZX
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 4, 2021
For those in Alberta who do get the day off – the government has been working on a comprehensive list of events and activities happening across the province.
Eventually, this list will be posted to the government’s website ahead of the holiday and will include other resources such as courses, programs, and more.
If you’d like to view the government of Canada’s official list of federally regulated workplaces so you can plan accordingly, it is available here – and, if you’d like to scroll through Alberta’s official list of offerings it will be posted in the coming days here.
We sincerely hope that you use this time to learn and commemorate – even if it’s on your own time, Alberta. This holiday is long overdue and means a lot to so many.
Of course, as always, we will keep you guys updated as we get more information on the September 30 holiday in Alberta – but until then, talk to your employers and learn from your peers!
