The date. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of October, not in November as in the United States. This year, it's Monday, October 12, 2026. It's one of the eight paid statutory holidays under Quebec's labour standards.
Who gets the paid day off. Anyone who works, full time or part time, is entitled to it, whatever their status: temporary, casual or on call, and even if they've only worked a few days since being hired. One condition: you must not be absent without a valid reason or permission on the working day before or after the holiday.
If you work that day. Your employer must pay you for the day worked and, on top of that, choose one of two options: pay you a statutory holiday indemnity, or give you a paid day off on another date, within three weeks before or after. According to the CNESST, the indemnity equals 1/20 of the wages earned during the four complete pay weeks before the week of the holiday.
Stores. Under the rules for store opening hours on statutory holidays (in French), stores, grocery stores and SAQ outlets may open at their normal hours on Thanksgiving Monday. Pharmacies may open all day. It's a permission, not an obligation: check the store's hours before you go.
Mail. Canada Post offices are closed on statutory holidays, with no mail pickup or delivery. Postal counters inside a store follow that store's hours.
On the road in Montreal. Mobilité Montréal is announcing major closures (in French) over the long weekend. The biggest: Highway 25 southbound is completely closed, including the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine bridge-tunnel, from Friday 11 p.m. to Sunday 11 p.m., in connection with the Beneva Montreal Marathon. More tunnel closures follow until Tuesday morning, in both directions. Check Québec 511 before you leave.
Good to know for newcomers. If your employer asks you to work on Monday, that's not illegal, but you're entitled to compensation on top of your pay. Our guide to public holidays in Quebec gives the full list for the year.
