Here's what's open and closed in Ontario on National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
The federal holiday falls on a Monday this year.
Events on Parliament Hill for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, 2023.
Canada is marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday, September 30, and if you're in Ontario, you might be wondering how this impacts your day.
Also known as Orange Shirt Day, the federal holiday is the Government of Canada's response to one of 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report, which called for a federal statutory day of commemoration of the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools.
The federally funded Indian Residential School system operated in Canada for over a century, with the last schools closing as recently as the 1990s. These schools aimed to separate Indigenous children from their families and erase their languages, traditions and cultural practices.
More than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were forced to attend, and thousands did not survive. The federal holiday honours the children who never returned home from residential schools as well as the survivors, families and communities who still live with their lasting effects.
First introduced in 2021, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not a statutory holiday for everyone in Ontario, but it does apply to federally regulated workplaces, such as the federal public service, banks, postal services and more. So, while some businesses and services might close up shop, many others will stay open as usual.
If you're curious about what's open and closed near you, here's what you can expect across Ontario this Monday, September 30.
Groceries & shopping
As grocery and retail in Ontario are not federally regulated industries, most grocery stores, pharmacies, shopping malls and other retail stores will be open and following normal business hours.
It's always a good idea to check your local store's hours before heading out, but you shouldn't have any trouble getting your usual shopping done on Monday.
Liquor
LCBO: Stores across Ontario will open late at 12 p.m.
The Beer Store: Open with regular hours.
Public services
Public transit: GO Transit, the TTC in Toronto and the OC Transpo in Ottawa will all be running on a regular weekday schedule.
Banks: Most banks will be closed.
Canada Post: Closed on Monday, with no collection or delivery of mail. However, privately owned post offices will be open according to the hours of the business they're located in.
Service Canada: Service Canada locations will be closed, as will passport offices, CRA contact centres and other federal government services.
City of Toronto services: Toronto's city services will be running on their usual Monday schedule, with libraries open, garbage collection schedules unaffected and other city services running normally.
City of Ottawa services:
- Ottawa's 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters only. You can visit ottawa.ca/311 for more information.
- Garbage, recycling and green bin collection will follow the normal schedule.
- All community, recreation and cultural facilities are open as usual, although city-operated museums are always closed on Mondays.
- All municipal child care centres will be closed.
- All Employment and Social Services offices will be closed.
- Seven Ottawa Public Library branches will be open and will be providing a "National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Learning and Action Space." The following branches will be open from 10 am to 5 pm:
- Beaverbrook — 2500 Campeau Dr.
- Cumberland — 1599 Tenth Line Rd.
- Greenboro — 363 Lorry Greenberg Dr.
- Main — 120 Metcalfe St.
- Nepean Centrepointe — 101 Centrepointe Dr.
- Ruth E. Dickinson — 100 Malvern Dr.
- St. Laurent — 515 Côté St.
See the full list of schedule disruptions in Ottawa on the City website.
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society Emergency Crisis Line is available across Canada 24/7. Those who may need support can call 1-866-925-4419.