B C Family Day…

\n\nI n parts of Canada, Family Day, is a statutory holiday occurring on a Monday in February every year. In the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Saskatchewan, it is observed on the third Monday of February; in the provinces of Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the holiday is instead termed Louis Riel Day, Nova Scotia Heritage Day and Islander Day respectively.\n\nBritish Columbia (BC) observes Family Day on the second Monday of February. Two-thirds of Canadians live in a province that observes a February statutory holiday. Except in British Columbia, Family Day coincides with Presidents’ Day in the United States.\n\n\n\nThe second and third Mondays in February are regular working days in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the territories. As Family Day is not recognized in the federal sphere, federal employees in all provinces (such as public servants and postal workers) work on this day. In Yukon, one Friday in February is deemed Yukon Heritage Day.\n\nThe holiday was proclaimed by Lieutenant Governor Helen Hunley, on the advice of her premier, Don Getty. Premier Getty said it was important for Albertans to spend time with their families, and that this holiday would emphasize the importance of family values. Getty faced considerable criticism at the time; many employers felt an additional statutory holiday was an unnecessary financial burden. In response, Heritage Day was downgraded to a civic holiday, meaning employers would not be required to observe it. Under Alberta law, the employer may choose to observe Heritage Day as a general holiday, under which rules applying to general holiday pay will be used.\n\nBritish Columbia A private member’s bill to establish Family Day on the third Monday in February was introduced in the British Columbia Legislature by Liberal MLA Bob Chisholm in 1994 but failed to pass. Although there were renewed calls to introduce Family Day in BC between 2007 and 2011, it was opposed by the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Campbell government.\n

\nOn January 10, 2011, while running for the leadership of the BC Liberal Party, Christy Clark proposed establishing a Family Day holiday on the third Monday of February. Clark subsequently became premier; the Speech from the Throne, delivered on October 3, 2011, said that BC would observe its first Family Day on February 18, 2013.\n\nIn 2012, a two-week consultation process was held in order to determine if British Columbians preferred the holiday to fall on the second or third Monday in February.On May 28, 2012, it was announced that Family Day would be observed on the second Monday in February each year, starting February 11, 2013. As this does not coincide with Presidents Day, it also provides two consecutive long weekends for tourism, particularly at BC’s many ski resorts.\n\nBC Family day holiday celebration date may change: B.C. Premier John Horgan is looking into changing the February Family Day holiday to align with other provinces.”It’s been his view for a long time that we should be in alignment with other provinces and we’re determining how quickly we can get that done,” read a statement from his office.\n\nDenizens of area want to get together over the Family Day weekend with their families and friends in other provinces. It will not be out of place to mention that BC celebrates Family Day on 2nd Monday of Feb. where as other Province celebrate on 3rd Monday of February. Though Horgan’s office has agreed for the change yet did not say whether a change will be in place before the 2018 Family Day, which falls on Feb. 12.\n\n \n\n \n\n