Today’s a day off for me and many — but not all — people in Ontario, as it’s the first instance of a new statutory holiday called Family Day. The establishment of this holiday was a promise made by the Provincial Liberal Party for a long weekend in the depths of winter.
One might think that this is the sort of government initiative that would have universal appeal, but that’s not the case. Between confusion among employees as to whether they’d really get the day off, logistical problems as to what to do with the kids, employers complaining about lost revenues and people who dread spending time with their families, the news outlets are reporting tales of woe and the gnashing of teeth:
- The Globe and Mail: To Celebrate Family Day, Start with Low Expectations
- The Barrie Examiner: Beware of What You Ask For
- The Ottawa Citizen: Province’s Brand-new Family Day Rapidly Becoming Too Much Work
- CBC: Ottawa Merchants Blame Ontario for Family Day Store Closures
- Toronto Star: Family Day: The Holiday that isn’t Really a Holiday
As for me, I’m going to kick back, noodle around the house, hang out with the wife and cook her a nice lunch and hit the Rhino later this evening to catch up with the other geeks at Rails Pub Nite. Happy Family Day!
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Was it part of the plan to make it correspond with the United States’ Presidents’ Day, or was that a coincidence?
Kim: No, I’d say that Ontario is just trying to catch up to Alberta. We started the “Family Day” charade in the late ’80s, after our then premier’s son was arrested with cocaine. Some of us still call this the “Dale Getty Day” in honour of that naughty boy. I’m not saying Ontario has a similar political embarrassment behind its decision to create the holiday, though.