Nova Scotia Remembrance Day: No paid holiday under review
Nova Scotia remains the only Atlantic province that does not recognize Remembrance Day as a paid statutory holiday. The provincial government is not currently considering a change, while residents have called for the province to align its policy with neighboring provinces.
Nova Scotia is not considering making Remembrance Day a paid statutory holiday, leaving the province as the exception among Atlantic Canada’s four provinces on the november 11 holiday. The policy affects whether workers can take paid time off to attend ceremonies honoring veterans.
Three of the four Atlantic provinces recognize Remembrance Day as a paid statutory holiday. Nova Scotia has not made that change, even as some residents call for closer alignment across the region.
Halifax resident Alan Sloan said the province’s military history and naval presence make the case for a paid day off. “Given the sacrifice of Nova Scotia in the past, we need to honour that by actually letting people be able to attend Remembrance Day ceremony,” he said.
Dalhousie student Owen Huisman also supported aligning Nova Scotia’s policy with those of other Atlantic provinces. He said families with relatives who served in different provinces could gather for ceremonies.
“We are so connected, some people might have family that are veterans in some of the other Atlantic provinces, so it would be nice to be able to get families together for that sort of stuff,” Huisman said.
Labour Minister Nolan Young said the provincial government has not examined adding any statutory holidays, though it remains open to considering new policies. He said Remembrance Day would be a leading candidate if officials reviewed the list.
“What I would say is, if we were to look at statutory holidays, certainly Remembrance Day would be at the top of the list,” Young said.
Young said making the day a paid holiday would affect businesses and employers. Any change would require consultation with businesses, veterans, their families and industry, he said.
The Royal Canadian Legion opposes changing Remembrance Day’s status in Nova Scotia. Nujma Bond, the organization’s national communications and public relations manager, said attending a ceremony should remain a personal choice.
“People should be able to go to a ceremony if they wish,” Bond said. “We don’t necessarily want it to be a holiday where people might decide to do other things.”
