Most Businesses Closed Until 1 p.m. Remembrance Day

Restaurants and hotels among the few exceptions to closure regulations

This year, Remembrance Day. November 11 falls on a Sunday. Manitoba's Remembrance Day Act requires retail businesses to be closed between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., to allow people to commemorate Canadian contributions and sacrifices in wars and international conflicts.

Most Sundays in Manitoba, retail businesses in communities with bylaws can be open from noon until 6 p.m. This year, business can be open only from 1 to 6 p.m. on Remembrance Day.

Provincial Remembrance Day legislation applies to retail businesses that sell or offer to sell goods and services, tradespeople or professional services, rental companies and businesses charging admission to performances such as movies, concerts, theatre, exhibits and sports events.

However, restaurants and hotels are allowed to be open all day on Remembrance Day. Under the terms of the Remembrance Day regulations, restaurants include street vendors, kiosks, outdoor restaurants, as well as indoor restaurants. Generally speaking, any operation whose primary business is to prepare and sell food would be considered a restaurant.

The prohibition of work on Remembrance Day does not apply to workers such as:

• police officers, firefighters and security officers;
• hospital, domestic, child-care and home-care employees;
• employees required to supply heating, gas, lighting, electrical or water services, or to provide emergency repairs for these services;
• hotels, restaurants and continuous operation businesses (excluding retail) employees;
• employees providing transportation services for goods or passengers by railway, aircraft or motor vehicle;
• employees in care of perishable products or live animals, or in the farming industry;
• employees of registered brokers who conduct business for clients on stock exchanges outside Manitoba;
• commemorative or religious service providers;
• employees of newspapers, telecommunication carriers, television or radio stations, and cable television companies.

Employees working on Remembrance Day are entitled to 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for all hours worked, but not less than half the normal working hours of a regular working day. Employees may also be eligible to receive regular pay in addition to the wages earned for working on Remembrance Day. Employees in retail establishments have the right of refusal for work on Remembrance Day as they do on Sundays.

Further information on Remembrance Day regulations is available from the Manitoba Employment Standards Branch- phone 945-3352 in Winnipeg or1-800-821-4307 toll-free from outside Winnipeg. Morenformation on Remembrance Day regulations is also available on the Manitoba Government Web site.