Ontario retailers may remain open on Victoria Day this Monday, May 18 [1], following amendments to the Retail Business Holidays Act.
The change allows businesses to modernize their holiday operations and provides consumers with more shopping options during the long weekend. However, the provincial government has stipulated that the new flexibility does not grant employers the power to compel staff to work.
Premier Doug Ford said, "No one is going to force them to work" [2]. The government's position is that while stores can open, employee consent remains a requirement for staffing on the holiday.
Reports on the scope of the legislation vary. CityNews said that all retailers are now permitted to remain open [2]. Conversely, InsideHalton said that only retailers meeting specific "family-retail" criteria may choose to open [4].
Retailers in Ottawa and the Upper Ottawa Valley are currently weighing their hours for the holiday. A spokesperson for the Ontario Retail Association said, "Retailers now have the flexibility to decide whether to open on Victoria Day" [4].
Despite the changes for the private sector, municipal operations in the capital will remain shut. The Ottawa City Communications Office said that City Hall and all municipal client service centres will be closed on Victoria Day [3].
The legislative shift aims to balance economic activity with labor protections, ensuring that the ability to generate revenue on a statutory holiday does not override worker autonomy.
“"No one is going to force them to work."”
This policy shift represents a move toward deregulation of the retail sector in Ontario, shifting the decision to operate on statutory holidays from the province to individual business owners. By decoupling the right to open from the right to mandate labor, the government is attempting to support retail growth without triggering a backlash from labor unions or worker advocacy groups.
