In Canada, the standard two weeks of paid vacation for full time employees can feel like a drop in the bucket when you’re looking ahead; however, by strategically booking your 14 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) around weekends and statutory holidays, you can effectively triple your time off, resulting in 44 total days of vacation.
As a reminder, Ontario has nine official statutory holidays under the Employment Standards Act for 2026, where most employees are entitled to public holiday pay. In addition, there are a few widely observed days as well, although these are not required to be paid.
Ontario’s official statutory holidays in 2026 include:
- New Year’s Day – Thursday, January 1
- Family Day – Monday, February 16
- Good Friday – Friday, April 3
- Victoria Day – Monday, May 18
- Canada Day – Wednesday, July 1
- Labour Day – Monday, September 7
- Thanksgiving – Monday, October 12
- Christmas Day – Friday, December 25
- Boxing Day – Saturday, December 26
Ontario’s commonly observed holidays include:
- Easter Monday – Monday, April 6
- Civic Holiday – Monday, August 3
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Wednesday, September 30
- Remembrance Day – Wednesday, November 11
Here’s your “Vacation Hack” guide to making the most of your time off in 2026:
- New Year’s Day: Take December 31 (2025) and January 2 off for an 5-day vacation (2 PTO days used)
- Family Day: Take February 13 off for a four-day vacation (1 PTO day used)
- Easter: Take April 2 for a five-day vacation* if you have Easter Monday off, four days otherwise (1 PTO day used)
- Victoria Day: Take May 15 off for a four-day vacation (1 PTO day used)
- Canada Day: Take June 29 – 30 AND July 2 – 3 off for a nine-day vacation (4 PTO day used)
- Civic Holiday* (not a statutory holiday): Take July 31 off for a four-day vacation (1 PTO day used)
- Labour Day: Take September 4 off for a four-day vacation (1 PTO day used)
- Thanksgiving Day: Take October 9 off for a four-day vacation (1 PTO day used)
- Christmas Day & Boxing Day: Take December 24 and 28 off for a five-day vacation (2 PTO days used)
By planning ahead, you can turn 14 PTO days off into a whopping 44 vacation days in 2026! Time to make it your most travel-filled year yet.