Legault blows off holiday for indigenous day
Quebec doesn’t give out public holidays for any old thing, François Legault said Monday while blowing off the possibility of having a holiday on National Indigenous Peoples day, adding that we already get too many days off here.
Now get back to work.
DeWolf 18:30 on 2021-06-21 Permalink
You know, moving back here from Hong Kong (that hyper-capitalist epicentre of neoliberalism), I was taken aback at how few holidays we have. I had never considered it before. Hong Kong has 16 public holidays. Quebec has eight – nine if you’re lucky enough to get both Good Friday and Easter Monday off.
GC 18:48 on 2021-06-21 Permalink
« On en a, toute proportion gardée, déjà beaucoup »
In proportion to whom? We have one less day off than a number of other provinces, for example.
Mark Côté 21:03 on 2021-06-21 Permalink
I’m still bitter that Quebec didn’t follow Ontario with regards to family day years back. February is the most dreary month with nary a stat holiday until Easter.
JP 00:45 on 2021-06-22 Permalink
Agreed. There is definitely a day off missing in February. Something about the way this was shut down without even a “we’ll think about it”/”we’ll study it” really bugs me.
Meezly 09:04 on 2021-06-22 Permalink
We always go on about how Montreal/QC has better work/life balance compared to provinces with a more Protestant-oriented work ethic. So why are politicians so stingy about public holidays? And the ready dismissal of having one for Nat’l Indigenous Peoples Day at this time. Speaks volumes about the kind of politician Legault is.
Joey 11:24 on 2021-06-22 Permalink
Agreed we need another day off in winter. Not surprised Legault wouldn’t even entertain the idea (essentially a stat holiday is a transfer of wealth from capital to labour). As far as a day off for National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I think I am persuaded by the argument that, given how far we are from meaningful reconciliation, it’s premature to be giving ourselves a day off… Maybe a working day where everyone’s wages are transferred to Indigenous organizations would be more appropriate.
Kate 10:43 on 2021-06-23 Permalink
The only argument I can see against not giving National Indigenous Peoples’ Day off as a stat holiday is that it’s June 21, and we already have June 24 and July 1 as holidays. Clustering 3 of our sparse stat holidays together wouldn’t be ideal (and shortly before the construction holiday, too, which isn’t off for everyone, but is for a lot of folks not only in construction but also related trades).
We really do need a winter holiday. It’s a long grim stretch from New Year’s to Easter, especially the years when Easter falls late.
Daisy 16:28 on 2021-06-23 Permalink
Not only do we not get Family Day off, but we also don’t get Remembrance Day. So I really don’t get this argument of already having too many days off.
EG 17:13 on 2021-06-23 Permalink
People might argue that the day chosen for Indigenous Day is too close to two days that are already holidays in Quebec (I know there was some discussion about this when a date was first going to be chosen.)
Daisy 07:56 on 2021-06-25 Permalink
Maybe it would be a sign of reconciliation if the colonizers moved their own holidays to accommodate National Indigenous Peoples’ Day. In the case of the Fete nationale it would also serve to break the Catholic, St. Jean Baptiste connection.
GC 08:50 on 2021-06-25 Permalink
That’s an interesting argument. Considering how much the CAQ loves to tout how “secular” we are while promoting things like Bill 21, you’d think we’d want to break those connections.