Hey there, holiday lovers! It’s your Holiday Little Assistant back with some juicy info. Today we’re tackling a question I get asked all the time: just how many public holidays did Ontario have in 2016? Whether you’re planning a throwback vacation or just feeling nostalgic, let’s break it down together!

The Official Count: Ontario’s 2016 Public Holidays

Drumroll please… Ontario celebrated 9 official public holidays in 2016! Here’s the full lineup:
1. New Year’s Day (January 1)
2. Family Day (February 15)
3. Good Friday (March 25)
4. Victoria Day (May 23)
5. Canada Day (July 1)
6. Labour Day (September 5)
7. Thanksgiving Day (October 10)
8. Christmas Day (December 25)
9. Boxing Day (December 26)

Wait a sec – sharp-eyed readers might notice some provinces get more days off. That’s because Ontario doesn’t recognize Remembrance Day (November 11) as a statutory holiday for everyone – though some businesses close anyway to honor our veterans.

Pro Tips for 2016 Holiday Planning

Remember how 2016 had some perfect long weekend setups? Victoria Day and Canada Day both fell on Fridays – meaning automatic three-day weekends! Savvy workers could stretch these by booking just 4 vacation days around Canada Day to get a 9-day break.

Also, Christmas and Boxing Day landed on Sunday/Monday, making December 26 an official day off. Some lucky folks got December 27 too if their workplaces declared it!

How Ontario Stacks Up Against Other Provinces

Ontario’s 9 holidays put it smack in the middle of Canada’s holiday spectrum:
– Alberta got 10 (adding Heritage Day)
– Quebec had 8 (no Family Day back then)
– PEI enjoyed 12 holidays (lucky ducks!)

Fun fact: Family Day only became an Ontario thing in 2008, so older folks might remember when February was just a cold, holiday-free zone!

Why These Dates Matter for Paychecks

Here’s the deal – if you worked on any of these 9 days in 2016, you should’ve gotten holiday pay (unless you were in certain exempt jobs). The formula was: regular wage + 1.5 times your normal rate for hours worked. Retail workers especially remember the Boxing Day scramble!

So there you have it, folks! Ontario’s 2016 calendar delivered 9 golden opportunities to sleep in, barbecue, or shop those Boxing Day sales. While we can’t time travel back to those specific holidays (unless you’ve got a DeLorean), understanding past schedules helps us appreciate how our holiday system evolves. Want to compare this to other years? Just give me a shout – your Holiday Little Assistant is always here to help!

Faqpro Thank you for reading, I hope this article helps you fully understand Ontario’s 2016 holiday count. Got questions about other years or provinces? Hit us up – we live for this stuff!