Heritage Day in Alberta: Is It a Statutory Holiday?

Every first Monday in August, Alberta celebrates Heritage Day to honour the province’s multicultural heritage. However, unlike Canada Day or Christmas, it is not a mandatory holiday, so your employer can choose whether or not to grant you paid time off.

Knowing this can help you plan, whether Heritage Day in Alberta involves asking for the day off, using a vacation day, or getting ready to work while others enjoy the long weekend.

What is Heritage Day in Alberta?

Heritage Day in Alberta is celebrated on the first Monday in August to honour the province’s diverse cultural backgrounds, including Indigenous peoples, early European settlers, and more recent immigrants from over 75 cultures.

Heritage Day is sometimes mistaken for one of the statutory holidays in Alberta, but it is not part of the official statutory list.

Instead of focusing on specific historical events, Alberta Heritage Day commemorates living cultural traditions through festivals, performances, food, and community gatherings.

Here are the Alberta Heritage Day dates from 2025 to 2030:

Source: Heritage Day – timeanddate.com

Since it falls on the first Monday in August, Heritage Day in AB always creates a three-day weekend. It encourages people to celebrate, attend events, or enjoy family trips during this warm, long August holiday. 

Is Heritage Day a Statutory Holiday in Alberta?

No, Heritage Day is not a statutory holiday in Alberta. It is an optional holiday under Alberta’s employment standards legislation. Therefore, employers can choose whether or not to recognize it as a paid day off for their employees.

If an employer chooses to recognize Heritage Day in AB, the same pay rules that apply to statutory holidays then apply to that optional holiday for that workplace. Here’s how it works for employees who meet eligibility requirements:

Workers who do not work on Alberta Heritage Day: Receive your average daily wage. It is calculated by dividing your total earnings by either:

• The number of days you worked in the 4 weeks before the holiday, or 
• The 4 weeks ending on the last pay period before the holiday.

Workers who work on Alberta Heritage Day: Your employer must choose one of two options: 

• Overtime pay: Pay you 1.5 times your regular hourly rate for all hours worked, plus your average daily wage.
• Time-off: Pay your regular hourly rate for the hours worked as a regular workday, and give you a future day off at your average daily wage. This day off must be taken before your next vacation or on your first workday after your vacation ends.

Calculating holiday pay can get complicated when schedules are irregular or hours are variable. If you need help with calculations or to report incorrect holiday pay, contact the Alberta Employment Standards Contact Centre at 1-877-427-3731 or speak with an employment lawyer.

How to Request Alberta Heritage Day Off from Your Employer

If your employer does not automatically recognize Heritage Day in Alberta, but you would like time off, there are 2 steps to take to get it.

Step 1: Check the Employer’s Policy

First, remember that Alberta has nine official statutory holidays that most businesses recognize:

• New Year’s Day
• Alberta Family Day
• Good Friday
• Victoria Day
• Canada Day
• Labour Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Remembrance Day
• Christmas Day

Many employers announce their holiday calendar at the start of each year or when you are hired. However, Heritage Day isn’t on this list above, so your employer gets to make their own rules.

Sometimes, the policy isn’t the same for everyone. Office staff might receive the day off while customer-facing teams work regular hours, or salaried employees might get the benefit while hourly workers do not. 

So, check your employee handbook, company intranet, or annual holiday calendar. If you are unsure, ask your HR department or supervisor directly.

Step 2: Timing Your Request

Timing is everything, especially for a summer holiday. Submit your Alberta Heritage Day request well before the vacation request deadline at your workplace. Since it falls during summer, other employees may have already requested days off around the August long weekend. The earlier you request, the better your chances of approval.

Keep in mind that your employer has the right to refuse your Alberta Heritage Day request, particularly if approving it would create operational difficulties. If this case happens, ask about alternatives and accept the decision professionally if no options work.

How to Celebrate Heritage Day in Alberta

Heritage Day is celebrated across Alberta with exciting events. The biggest celebration is the Edmonton Heritage Festival in Exhibition Grounds and Borden Park, featuring over 70 cultural pavilions, traditional performances, artisan demos, and food from around the world. 

In Calgary, Heritage Park Historical Village hosts special activities, including multicultural performances such as Chinese lion dances, Métis fiddle and jigging, Blackfoot drumming, and Middle Eastern music. The park blends the history of Alberta with modern cultural celebrations on Heritage Day.

In addition to these major events, local communities throughout Alberta also organize their celebrations. Check your municipality’s website or community center for local festivals, open houses, and special events at heritage sites. Many smaller cities also host their own multicultural festivals over the Ablberta long weekend.

Source: What’s open and closed for Heritage Day – cbc.ca

Heritage Day in Alberta vs First Monday in August Across Canada

Alberta Heritage Day is recognized as a Civic Holiday across most of Canada. But each province calls it by a different name and emphasizes distinct themes. Here are the provincial holiday variations on the first Monday of August across Canada:

Overall, Alberta’s emphasis on multicultural heritage distinguishes it from most other provinces. This reflects Alberta’s deliberate choice in 1974 to make cultural diversity the holiday’s central theme rather than generic provincial pride.

History of Heritage Day in Alberta

The first Alberta Heritage Day celebrations in 1974 and 1975 were multicultural concerts held at Fort Edmonton Park featuring performances from various cultural communities. They drew smaller crowds but established the foundational concept. 

The holiday transformed dramatically in 1976 when eleven ethnocultural communities came together to create what would become the Edmonton Heritage Festival. This participatory model proved enormously popular, with attendance growing steadily each year. 

Gradually, the celebrations became more inclusive, representing growing Asian communities as well as Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American cultural groups. Indigenous participation also increased, showcasing the long history of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit heritage in Alberta.

Today, Alberta Heritage Day emphasizes Indigenous history as a foundational aspect of Alberta’s culture. As of 2025, Heritage Day represents Alberta’s longest-running provincial celebration of multiculturalism.

The bottom line

To wrap up, the most important thing to remember about Alberta Heritage Day is that it’s optional. Many Albertans are confused about it due to its long history and status as a long weekend. Still, now you can approach the first Monday in August with clear expectations.

If you have questions about your rights, obligations, or pay regarding Heritage Day in Alberta or any work-related issue, contact Alberta Employment Standards or a qualified professional for accurate advice.

FAQs about Heritage Day in Alberta