Trudeau declares federal holiday for Queen’s funeral – but most Canadians will have to work

Justin Trudeau has declared a federal holiday for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, granting a handful of employees across Canada a day off.

But because most workers fall under provincial jurisdiction, much of the country was given little indication if they are expected to show up to work on Monday.

“Declaring an opportunity for Canadians to mourn on Monday is going to be important,” the Canadian prime minister said on Tuesday. “For our part we will be letting federal employees know that Monday will be a day of mourning where they will not work.”

In Canada, however, nearly 90% of workers fall under provincial jurisdiction, and are not eligible for federal holidays. Trudeau said he was working with the country’s provinces to arrange a possible public holiday.

Quebec – the French-speaking province long skeptical of the monarchy –ruled out a holiday, with its premier, François Legault, saying the funeral would be marked with a “day of commemoration”, but no time off for workers.

Soon after, Ontario, which is Canada’s most populous province, followed suit. Its premier, Doug Ford, said on Monday would be a “provincial day of mourning” but not a holiday.

“This will give all Ontarians an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable life of Queen Elizabeth II and her unrelenting commitment to service and duty,” Ford said in a statement. “It also allows students to be in school learning about the many contributions the Queen made to the people of Ontario, Canada, and the entire Commonwealth, as well as the accession of King Charles III.”

Groups representing small businesses warned of a steep economic cost if provinces joined the federal government in recognizing a holiday.

“With a six-day notice, it would be deeply unfair for small businesses and cost the economy billions,” Dan Kelly, head of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said in a statement. He called on provinces to take an approach similar to the United Kingdom, which will not require businesses to close on Monday.

The late queen visited Canada often, traveling across the Atlantic 22 times as sovereign.

“As Queen of Canada for nearly six decades, my pride in this country remains undimmed,” she told a cheering crowd in Halifax in 2010 on her last tour. “Thank you again for your welcome. It is very good to be home.”

While the Queen enjoyed strong approval throughout her seven-decade reign, Canada’s support for the monarchy has faded substantially in recent years. More than half of the country said they would prefer to see the institution abolished in the coming years.

The prime minister, Governor General Mary Simon and Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ralph Goodale, will attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday. Trudeau said he was working with opposition leaders to determine the makeup of the rest of the delegation traveling to London.