Northwest Territories Statutory Holidays 2026

Last reviewed: August 26, 2026 · Holiday data: August 25, 2026

Northwest Territories observes 11 statutory holidays in 2026: 10 fall on a weekday and 1 land on a weekend, leaving 251 working days across the year. The working week is Monday to Friday with a Saturday and Sunday weekend, the same as the rest of Canada; what changes is the statutory holiday set.

How Northwest Territories differs from the federal Canadian holidays

The Northwest Territories runs eleven statutory holidays under the Employment Standards Act. It adds National Indigenous Peoples Day on 21 June (statutory in the NWT since 2001) and the August Civic Holiday on the first Monday of August, and it does not treat Boxing Day as a statutory holiday, so that federal day is dropped. The NWT keeps the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday under section 22(1)(g.1) of the Act. National Indigenous Peoples Day stays on 21 June; in 2026 that lands on a Sunday, so it does not change the working-day count that year. The Northwest Territories grants no substitute weekday when a statutory holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday: the Employment Standards Act gives the holiday with pay whether it falls on a day of work or not. Christmas Day 2027, and New Year's Day, Canada Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Remembrance Day in 2028, stay on their Saturday dates and close no weekday. The working week is Monday to Friday with a Saturday and Sunday weekend.

Added in Northwest Territories (2026)

National Indigenous Peoples Day (Sunday, June 21)
Civic Holiday (Monday, August 3)

Federal days not observed in Northwest Territories (2026)

Boxing Day (observed) (Monday, December 28)

Northwest Territories statutory holiday calendar 2026

Date	Day	Statutory holiday	Notes
January 1	Thursday	New Year's Day	New Year's Day on Thursday January 1 is a strong bridge-day candidate; many employers grant the Friday as discretionary leave to produce a four-day weekend.
April 3	Friday	Good Friday	Good Friday on Friday April 3 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
May 18	Monday	Victoria Day	Victoria Day on Monday May 18 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
June 21	Sunday (weekend)	National Indigenous Peoples Day
July 1	Wednesday	Canada Day	Canada Day on Wednesday July 1 breaks the working week without an obvious adjacent-weekend bridge opportunity.
August 3	Monday	Civic Holiday	Civic Holiday on Monday August 3 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
September 7	Monday	Labour Day	Labour Day on Monday September 7 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
September 30	Wednesday	National Day for Truth and Reconciliation	National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday September 30 breaks the working week without an obvious adjacent-weekend bridge opportunity.
October 12	Monday	Thanksgiving	Thanksgiving on Monday October 12 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
November 11	Wednesday	Remembrance Day	Remembrance Day on Wednesday November 11 breaks the working week without an obvious adjacent-weekend bridge opportunity.
December 25	Friday	Christmas Day	Christmas Day on Friday December 25 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.

2026 summary

Total days

365

Weekend days

104

Statutory holidays on weekdays

Working days

251

After subtracting 104 weekend days and 10 weekday-falling statutory holidays, Northwest Territories has 251 working days in 2026. Deadlines and due dates counted in Northwest Territories use this provincial calendar, not the federal set.

Other years

Bank holidays 2027 Bank holidays 2028

Sources and verification

Official source: ece.gov.nt.ca (opens in a new tab)

Cross-checked against this source on August 25, 2026.

See all official sources →

Northwest Territories 2026 FAQ

How many statutory holidays does Northwest Territories have in 2026?

Northwest Territories observes 11 statutory holidays in 2026, of which 10 fall on a weekday. The complete list is in the table above.

How does Northwest Territories differ from the rest of Canada?

Which holidays does Northwest Territories change in 2026?

Northwest Territories adds: National Indigenous Peoples Day (Sunday, June 21); Civic Holiday (Monday, August 3). Not observed as a statutory holiday: Boxing Day (observed) (Monday, December 28).

How many working days does Northwest Territories have in 2026?

Northwest Territories has 251 working days in 2026, after subtracting 104 weekend days and 10 weekday-falling statutory holidays.