B.C. to close schools, give public workers day off Monday to mourn Queen
CBC
B.C.'s premier has declared Monday, Sept. 19, a day of remembrance this year to align with the federal decision to mark the Queen's funeral with a holiday.
Public schools, including post-secondary institutions, and most Crown corporations will be closed.
The province says it is encouraging private-sector employers to acknowledge the day, as well.
"This will be a national day to reflect on the incredible life of Canada's Queen and the longest-serving monarch in British history," Premier John Horgan said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
Monday will not be a statutory holiday in B.C. This means private-sector employers do not have to pay their staff an additional wage for working that day.
As Canada continues its national mourning period following the monarch's death last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday announced that Sept. 19 would be a federal holiday.
"We will be working with the provinces and the territories to try and see that we're aligned on this. 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," Trudeau said during a Liberal caucus retreat in New Brunswick.
The provinces have all been taking different approaches to the day. The Atlantic provinces will all observe a holiday, but Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have opted not to.
Although it has been seven decades since the passing of the previous monarch, King George VI, it's a long-standing tradition for Canada to deem the day of a monarch's funeral a national holiday.
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Following the news from the provincial government, B.C. school districts began contacting parents to inform them classrooms will be closed Monday and that they will have to make alternative arrangements for child care.
Kyenta Martins, the co-chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, said having an unplanned day off so soon into the new school year will be challenging.
"It's a chaotic month," she told B.C. Today host Michelle Eliot. "This is going to make it really difficult on short notice to find child care on Monday."
She also pointed out that several districts already have a scheduled day off the same week, which will reduce the learning period to three days.
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