Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in Ontario?
Yes. Statutory
Boxing Day is one of Ontario’s nine public holidays, with public holiday pay and no minimum length of service.
2026: Saturday, December 26, 2026 · 2027: Sunday, December 26, 2027
If you work it
Public holiday pay plus 1.5 times your regular rate for the hours worked, or, if you agree in writing, your regular wages plus a substitute day off with holiday pay.
If it falls on a weekend
On a day you would not normally work, such as a Saturday: a substitute day off with public holiday pay within 3 months (12 with your written agreement), or holiday pay instead if you agree in writing.
In 2026 it falls on a Saturday, so this rule applies.
Christmas Day
Yes. A public holiday under the Employment Standards Act, with public holiday pay and no minimum length of service.
Christmas rules everywhere →Checked against Ontario: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act, Public holidays on October 23, 2026. A collective agreement or your contract can give more.
Are stores open on Boxing Day 2026?
Stores may open. Boxing Day is a public holiday for employees, but not a retail business holiday.
Source: Ontario: Retail business holidays
What’s open across Canada →Mail, banks and federal workplaces
Canada Post treats Boxing Day as a national holiday; in 2026 its post offices close on Monday, December 28, 2026. Banks, airlines, telecoms and other federally regulated employers give it as a general holiday under the Canada Labour Code, in Ontario too. Check your bank for branch hours.
More for Ontario
Boxing Day in other provinces
British Columbia·Alberta·Saskatchewan·Manitoba·Quebec·New Brunswick·Nova Scotia·Prince Edward Island·Newfoundland and Labrador·Yukon·Northwest Territories·Nunavut·Federal
Questions people ask
+Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in Ontario?
Yes. Boxing Day is one of Ontario’s nine public holidays, with public holiday pay and no minimum length of service.
+Do you get paid more for working on Boxing Day in Ontario?
Public holiday pay plus 1.5 times your regular rate for the hours worked, or, if you agree in writing, your regular wages plus a substitute day off with holiday pay.
+What happens when Boxing Day falls on a weekend in Ontario?
On a day you would not normally work, such as a Saturday: a substitute day off with public holiday pay within 3 months (12 with your written agreement), or holiday pay instead if you agree in writing. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday.
+Are stores open on Boxing Day in Ontario?
Stores may open. Boxing Day is a public holiday for employees, but not a retail business holiday.
+Is Christmas Day a stat holiday in Ontario?
Yes. A public holiday under the Employment Standards Act, with public holiday pay and no minimum length of service.
+Is Boxing Day 2026 a long weekend?
Christmas Day falls on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday in 2026. The Christmas long weekend runs Friday, December 25 to Sunday, December 27 (3 days) across Canada. Because Boxing Day falls on a weekend, Ontario workers who would not have worked that day get a substitute day off with holiday pay, and federally regulated employees get their scheduled work day just before or after it off with pay.