Long weekends 2026 in Ontario

Statutory holidays 2026 in Ontario and what each one gives you

Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer long weekend.

VictoriaiPhoto: Michal Klajban · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

VictoriaiPhoto: Donaldytong · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

• Thursday, January 1: New Year's Day. New Year's Day is a statutory holiday across Canada, with polar bear dips in some towns and a quiet day for most. It closes the winter holiday season. Take Friday, January 2 off and you have 4 days in a row, January 1 to 4.
• Monday, February 16: Family Day. Family Day on the third Monday of February gives a long weekend in the depth of winter. Families head to ski hills, skating rinks and winter festivals. You get 3 free days in a row, February 14 to 16, with no leave needed.
• Friday, April 3: Good Friday. Good Friday is a statutory holiday in every province. It creates the Easter long weekend, a popular time for spring skiing or a first trip south. You get 3 free days in a row, April 3 to 5, with no leave needed.
• Monday, May 18: Victoria Day. Victoria Day falls on the Monday before 25 May and is known as the May two four weekend. It opens cottage and camping season across much of Canada. You get 3 free days in a row, May 16 to 18, with no leave needed.
• Wednesday, July 1: Canada Day. Canada Day celebrates Confederation on 1 July with fireworks, concerts and red and white everywhere. It opens the summer cottage season, so lakes and campgrounds fill quickly. Take Monday, June 29 and Tuesday, June 30 off and you have 5 days in a row, June 27 to July 1.
• Monday, September 7: Labour Day. Labour Day on the first Monday of September is the last long weekend of summer in Canada, right before school starts. Expect busy roads to cottages and campgrounds. You get 3 free days in a row, September 5 to 7, with no leave needed.
• Monday, October 12: Thanksgiving. Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of October, at the height of the fall colours. Families gather for a harvest dinner, and it is a favourite long weekend for a last cottage trip. You get 3 free days in a row, October 10 to 12, with no leave needed.
• Friday, December 25: Christmas Day. Christmas Day is a statutory holiday across Canada, when most shops close. Taking leave between Christmas and New Year gives one of the longest breaks of the year for few days of leave. You get 3 free days in a row, December 25 to 27, with no leave needed.
• Saturday, December 26: Boxing Day. Boxing Day on 26 December is known for big sales and hockey on TV. Together with Christmas it gives two days off in a row and a natural start to a winter break. It falls on a Saturday, and Ontario's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.

How far each vacation day goes in 2026

With 1 vacation day the longest run you can build is 4 days, January 1 to 4. Three days stretch to 5 days off (June 27 to July 1). Five days, a typical week, become 10 days off around Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, December 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027.

iPhoto: DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 17 days in a row, December 25, 2026 to January 10, 2027. For nine days or more away you need 4 vacation days.

Two weeks of vacation is ten working days, exactly the largest budget above: one long winter or summer break, or several long weekends spread over the year.

School breaks 2026 in Ontario

The official school calendar of Ontario has these 1 break touching 2026. Families can line up their leave with them, and everyone else can see when flights and stays get busier.

iPhoto: Gordon Leggett · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Christmas / winter break: December 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027. It overlaps the long weekend December 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027, so a few days of leave cover the whole break.

Getaways for your 2026 long weekends

Ontarians head to Muskoka and cottage country in summer, Algonquin Park for fall colour, Niagara for wineries and the falls, and Prince Edward County for beaches. Ottawa's Winterlude and Blue Mountain suit winter weekends.

iPhoto: A.Miskovsky · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Your strongest long weekends this year fall in January, February and March, so pick the trip that suits that season, and book early: everyone else in Ontario has the same days off.

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Ontario: Canada.ca: General holidays and Ontario: Your guide to the ESA: Public holidays, read directly and compared day by day with an independent second source. A year appears once its official list is published, and we never fill a gap with another province or territory's dates.

iPhoto: David Kernan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The planner treats weekends and full statutory holidays as free days and works out where your vacation days turn into the longest time off. Days kept in part of Ontario or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.