Northwest Territories Public Holidays
Discover upcoming public holiday dates for Northwest Territories and start planning to make the most of your time off.
The Employment Standards Law determines holiday pay laws for employees in the Northwest Territories. In addition, it determines what are considered statutory holidays in the province, some of which may be in addition to those recognised by the Canadian government.
There are ten statutory holidays in Northwest Territories, but only six of them are nationally recognised holidays in Canada. Nationally recognised holidays include Christmas, New Year’s Day and Canada Day. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, it may be celebrated on Friday while a holiday on Sunday may be celebrated on Monday.
On June 21, Northwest Territories celebrates National Aboriginal Day in order to celebrate the unique heritage of the Aboriginal people. The three Aboriginal groups in Canada are The First Nations, Inuit and Metis. On May 23, Northwest Territories celebrates Victoria Day in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday. Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays. An employer may choose to recognise them but is not required to do so.