British Columbia Statutory Holidays 2027: Full List & Dates

British Columbia Statutory Holidays 2027: Full List & Dates

British Columbia has 11 statutory holidays in 2027, from New Year’s Day on January 1 to Christmas Day on December 25. Here’s every date, the day of the week, and what each one means for pay and time off.

BC Long Weekends in 2027

Seven of BC’s 11 statutory holidays fall on a Monday or Friday in 2027, creating a standard three-day weekend. The other four — Canada Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day, and Christmas Day — land on a weekday or Saturday and don’t automatically produce one.

• New Year’s Day: Friday, January 1 to Sunday, January 3
• Family Day: Saturday, February 13 to Monday, February 15
• Good Friday: Friday, March 26 to Sunday, March 28
• Victoria Day: Saturday, May 22 to Monday, May 24
• B.C. Day: Saturday, July 31 to Monday, August 2
• Labour Day: Saturday, September 4 to Monday, September 6
• Thanksgiving Day: Saturday, October 9 to Monday, October 11
  Canada Day (Thursday, July 1) and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Thursday, September 30) sit close enough to the weekend that many workers bridge the Friday for a four-day break, though that’s a personal or employer choice, not a statutory entitlement.

Are Easter Monday and Boxing Day Statutory Holidays in BC?

Is Easter Monday a stat holiday in BC? No — Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are not among BC’s 11 statutory holidays under the province’s employment standards rules, even though March 29, 2027 falls on a Monday right after Good Friday.

Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in BC? No — Boxing Day is not a provincial statutory holiday in British Columbia, although many retailers, banks, and individual employers close or offer it as a paid day regardless.

This distinction matters because a business can close for Easter Monday or December 26 without that day carrying any of the statutory holiday pay or premium-pay rules described below. Whether an employee gets Easter Monday or Boxing Day off — and whether it’s paid — depends entirely on their employment contract or workplace policy, not on provincial law.

Provincial Statutory Holidays vs. School, Municipal, and Employer Holidays

BC’s 11 statutory holidays are set under the province’s Employment Standards Act and apply to most employees working in BC, regardless of city or school district. Two other categories often get confused with them:

• School holidays (winter break, spring break, professional development days) are set by individual school districts and don’t carry statutory holiday pay rules for the general workforce.
• Municipal or employer holidays (a civic holiday specific to one city, or an extra paid day some companies offer) exist on top of the 11 provincial statutory holidays, not instead of them.
  Employees who work for a federally regulated employer — banking, telecommunications, or interprovincial transportation, for example — follow the Canada Labour Code’s list of general holidays instead of BC’s provincial list, which can differ slightly in which days qualify.

Statutory Holiday Pay Eligibility in BC

An employee qualifies for BC statutory holiday pay if they meet both of the following conditions:

1. They’ve been employed by the same employer for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday.
2. They’ve worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the 30 calendar days before the holiday.
   The second condition doesn’t require working every one of those 15 days consecutively, and the qualifying wages can include pay for vacation time or another statutory holiday, not only hours actually worked. An employee who doesn’t meet both conditions is generally paid their regular wage for hours worked on the holiday, without the additional statutory holiday pay.

Statutory holiday pay itself is calculated as an average day’s pay, based on total wages earned in the 30 days before the holiday divided by the number of days worked in that period. Some occupations — including certain managers, farm workers, fishers, and commission-based sales roles — are excluded from these provisions entirely, so employees in those categories should check the specific rules that apply to their role.

What Happens If You Work on a Statutory Holiday?

An eligible employee who works on a BC statutory holiday is generally entitled to both statutory holiday pay and premium pay for the hours worked — typically time-and-a-half for the first several hours and double time beyond that, subject to the exemptions and calculations set out in the Employment Standards Act and Regulation. An employee who works on a statutory holiday but doesn’t meet the eligibility conditions above receives their regular wage for the hours worked, without the added premium.

Employers can also give a worked statutory holiday back as paid time off instead of premium pay, if the employee agrees. Because the exact calculation depends on an employee’s schedule, wage type, and occupation, anyone with an unusual pay structure should verify the details directly against the current employment standards rules.

Can an Employer Substitute Another Day? (Relevant for Christmas 2027)

Yes. An employer and employee, or an employer and a majority of affected employees, can agree in writing to substitute a different day for a BC statutory holiday. Once that agreement is in place, the substitute day carries the same pay and premium rules as the original holiday.

This matters for 2027 because Christmas Day falls on a Saturday. British Columbia doesn’t automatically move a weekend statutory holiday to the following Monday, so employees shouldn’t assume December 27 is a paid statutory holiday by default — that only happens if their employer has arranged a written substitution. Anyone unsure should check their employment contract, collective agreement, or workplace policy rather than assume a Monday replacement applies.

Frequently Asked Questions about BC Statutory Holidays 2027

Q: How many statutory holidays are there in BC in 2027?
A: There are 11 statutory holidays in British Columbia in 2027. They run from New Year’s Day on January 1 through Christmas Day on December 25.

Q: Is Family Day a stat holiday in BC?
A: Yes. Family Day is a BC statutory holiday, observed on the third Monday in February — Monday, February 15, 2027.

Q: Is Good Friday a statutory holiday in BC?
A: Yes. Good Friday is a BC statutory holiday and falls on Friday, March 26, 2027, ahead of Easter weekend.

Q: Is Easter Monday a holiday in British Columbia?
A: No. Easter Monday is not one of BC’s 11 statutory holidays, though some employers choose to provide it as a workplace holiday anyway.

Q: Is Canada Day a statutory holiday in BC?
A: Yes. Canada Day is a statutory holiday in British Columbia and falls on Thursday, July 1, 2027.

Q: Is Boxing Day a statutory holiday in BC?
A: No. Boxing Day is not a provincial statutory holiday in BC, although many retailers and some employers observe it as a paid day.

Q: Does Christmas Day create a long weekend in 2027?
A: Not automatically. Christmas falls on Saturday, December 25, 2027, and BC doesn’t shift weekend holidays to the following Monday unless the employer arranges a written substitute day.

Q: How is statutory holiday pay calculated in BC?
A: It’s based on an average day’s pay — total wages earned in the 30 days before the holiday divided by the number of days worked in that period, for employees who meet the eligibility rules.

Related Holidays & Calendars

For the complete Canadian statutory holiday calendar, see the Canada public holidays hub.