Happy Family Day in Canada | February 16, 2026

Next Family Day Monday, 16 February 2026

Canada celebrates Family Day every year on the third Monday of February, and in 2026, it will be observed on February 16.

For Canadians, this is an opportunity to reset, as it is the beginning of a long weekend right in the middle of winter, giving everyone a break from their daily schedule.

It is a public holiday in several Canadian provinces, so educational institutions, government offices, and several businesses remain shut.

Unlike other national holidays, Family Day is not celebrated countrywide and depends on which region you reside in.

History of Family Day

Alberta was the first region to celebrate Family Day in 1990, and it was the only province in Canada at that time with a statutory holiday in February.

Lieutenant Governor Helen Hunley proclaimed the holiday with the suggestion of Premier Don Getty.

Premier Getty said that this day would highlight the significance of family life and allow citizens to spend a lot of time together.

This date was deliberately chosen to coincide with a holiday in the United States to not cause any disruption in the cross-border trade.

Although many people supported the holiday, some employers opposed it due to added costs, leading the government to downgrade Heritage Day to a civic holiday so businesses were not required to provide paid leave.

Premier Lorne Calvert then proposed to observe Family Day in Saskatchewan in October 2005.

With the introduction of the Labour Standards Amendment Act, 2006, in November 2006 and the reception of Royal Assent later, it was officially declared by the legislation that Family Day would be observed on the third Monday of February every year in Saskatchewan, with the first celebration being held on February 19, 2007.

In Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty gave his words to introduce a February holiday in Ontario during the 2007 provincial holiday.

It was officially announced that Ontario would also celebrate Family Day on the third Monday in February on October 12, 2007. The first observance took place on February 18, 2008.

Although Family Day increased the number of statutory holidays in Ontario, employers were allowed to replace it with another non-statutory holiday, and many chose to substitute the Civic Holiday in August instead.

In British Columbia, attempts to introduce Family Day began in 1994 but were unsuccessful.

The holiday was later supported by Christy Clark, and the province first observed Family Day on February 18, 2013.

It was initially held on the second Monday in February, but in 2019 it was moved to the third Monday to align with other provinces.

In 2010, Premier Shawn Graham promised to introduce Family Day in New Brunswick, but he was not re-elected.

After the Liberals returned to power, Premier Brian Gallant announced in April 2017 that the province would adopt the holiday. New Brunswick first observed Family Day on February 19, 2018.