But some supporters of the beloved monarch hope Justin Trudeau will declare the day a public holiday, giving them time off to watch the televised service and honor the queen’s memory. “I’m very optimistic and I hope the prime minister will announce it,” said Keith Roy with the Monarchist Association of Canada. “As Canadians, we can come together with a national holiday. And I propose that we turn it into a day of service, where Canadians will have the opportunity not only to attend the service at Westminster Abbey, but to come together that Monday to take action service”. The CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business supports declaring a public holiday but not a paid statutory holiday. “It’s an important day, no doubt. But does it require a full day off work or in lieu of pay? I suspect that’s a step too far for most. People love having extra time off, but it’s causing disruption in the job market,” said Dan Kelly. If the prime minister declares a statutory holiday, federally regulated employees will receive the time off or extra pay if required to work. However, the vast majority of Canadians work in provincially regulated industries and it is up to individual provinces to decide whether to follow suit. “If the federal and provincial governments decided to make this a holiday, it would be extremely costly and worrisome for employers to have to suddenly close operations in some cases or pay time and a half to businesses that should be open,” he said. Kelly, adding “So we hope governments don’t go down that road.” Roy says he’s a small business owner himself and understands the concern, but believes the monarch’s funeral is a once-in-a-generation moment Canadians should be able to watch and commemorate. “There are moments in the life of a nation when we can just pause, reflect and celebrate the life of someone who has given 70 years of service to our nation,” said Roy, who points out that other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and New Zealand, state they are paid nationally. festivities to mark the occasion. While the CFIB hopes next Monday will not be a mandatory holiday, Kelly said business owners need to be informed if it is going to happen. “It would be nice if the federal government would actually make a decision on this, given that we are talking about a few days away. If there is any expectation that employers will need to shift gears or find additional dollars at this critical time, they need to let us know as soon as possible,” he said. An expected announcement on how Canada will mark the day of the Queen’s funeral could come when parliament reconvenes on Thursday.
