Alberta undecided on Monday's stat holiday marking Queen's funeral

Alberta's government has not decided whether it will follow Ottawa’s lead in declaring a statutory holiday on Monday, marking the Queen’s state funeral.

Queen Elizabeth II died in Scotland last week at 96, and Sept. 19 will be a federally regulated holiday to allow "Canadians to mourn" her death.

“There are still a few details to be worked out, but declaring an opportunity for Canadians to mourn on Monday is going to be important,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“We will be working with the provinces and the territories to try and see that we’re aligned on this.”

The prime minister’s comments at a news conference Tuesday morning have prompted many to wonder whether they’ll have the day off next week, while the provinces are taking a piecemeal approach to whether schools and workplaces will be closed in their jurisdictions.

Trudeau said Monday would be a “federal holiday.” It will apply to federal government employees, but not automatically to those working in federally-regulated industries — such as banks, airlines, post offices, and Crown corporations, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan subsequently tweeted.

Ontario and Quebec will not recognize the day as a stat holiday, but Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island will.

Reece Gill is from Birmingham in England. He is visiting Calgary, with a plan of moving to Canada.

He says he supports Canada’s effort to have a national statutory holiday honouring the Queen.

“I think the Queen has some sort of importance in Canada. I think it's a quite significant death,” he said.

“It was shocking when it happened. I was here when I saw it — it was just unbelievable. It would be appropriate to have a bank holiday, and have a time of mourning.”

A survey from Leger and the Association of Canadian Studies shows almost half of respondents plan to watch next week's state funeral, with an equal number saying they won't tune in.

The survey also found 15 per cent of respondents thought King Charles III's accession as the new monarch was good news, 16 per cent thought it was bad and 61 per cent were indifferent.

Canadians and Americans are equally indifferent (61% each) about the news that Charles is now king.#Leger360 #kingcharles pic.twitter.com/pqCPyd06Fd

— Léger (@leger360) September 13, 2022

Gill believes the Queen’s death will only bring more people to support the monarchy throughout the Commonwealth.

“It is very much renewed,” said Gill.

“The monarchy has always sort of been there, but given this is such a significant thing. It happens with royal weddings — you always get this renewed sense of not patriotism, but an appreciation of the monarchy.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is asking provinces not to make Monday a statutory holiday, because it would be “deeply unfair for small businesses” under such short notice.

“Small businesses are already struggling with labour shortages and requiring them to close or pay time and a half to their employees with no notice would be extremely costly or result in a day’s lost productivity,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly in a release on Tuesday. 

—With files by Spencer Van Dyk