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Once again, Quebecers are missing out on Family Day while most of the rest of the country gets a holiday. Harumph.
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My kids have a pedagogical day Monday, and I’m taking the day off so we can hit the slopes together.
But it seems like a consolation prize considering most of the rest of the country will be enjoying a real statutory holiday.
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Next door in Ontario, it’s Family Day. Same deal in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. In Manitoba, they call it Louis Riel Day. In Prince Edward Island, it’s Islander Day. In Nova Scotia, it’s Heritage Day.
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In Quebec, it’s just an ordinary Monday — unless your kids, like mine, have a ped day.
We’re not completely alone. The Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Nunavut don’t have a holiday on Monday. Nor do Newfoundland and Labrador, for that matter.
But it still seems like it’s another sign of Quebec’s distinctness — and not in a good way for once.
I grumble about this every year — sometimes in this column and sometimes to family or friends who come visit from out of province because, well, they have a long weekend to enjoy.
I don’t mean to whine, but hear me out.
Oh, sure, we have St-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24 and no one else does. Don’t let that fool you: most of the rest of the country has a long weekend at the beginning of August and we don’t. So we still come out behind.
Premier François Legault has always resisted giving Quebecers an extra day off, citing the cost to businesses and the hit to productivity.
He has even declined to declare the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a holiday for those reasons, even though it’s a federal stat and a holiday in B.C., Manitoba, P.E.I., the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Nunavut. That’s even harder to justify.
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A breather in mid-February is admittedly frivolous in comparison to this sombre and important occasion. But there are still good reasons to have one.
February may be the shortest month, but it sometimes feels like the longest. Christmas is a distant memory. March break is coming up.
It’s a long, gloomy stretch during the darkest and coldest months. Anyone even remotely experiencing seasonal depression is likely weary by now. Why not call a mental health day for the masses?
An extra day to sleep in sounds dreamy. Playing outside is the best way to make it through winter with sanity intact. After all, mon pays, c’est l’hiver.
An official day off could also be an opportunity to boost tourism and give the economy a little jolt. Yes, there might be a loss of productivity, but there could also be gains. Quick, somebody order up a study to calculate the possible spinoffs.
Quebec has many ski stations, Nordic spas, hotels and resorts for a weekend away.
That may not be a luxury everyone can afford, but day trips are certainly possible.
There are ski hills within spitting distance of the city, like Mont Rigaud or Mont St-Bruno. There are even more in the Townships and the Laurentians.
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Or you can just be a tourist in your own city by visiting a museum or an art gallery, sliding on Mount Royal or strolling around your favourite neighbourhood.
There’s skating indoors at local arenas or the atrium at 1000 de la Gauchetière St. W. There’s skating outdoors at the Old Port and the Esplanade Tranquille, to name a few possibilities.
Cap it off with hot chocolate at one of Montreal’s myriad cafés and call it an outing.
I’ll be swishing through fresh powder Monday (or maybe just on groomed snow). But not everyone is fortunate enough to have a vacation day when they want or need it — at least not without losing income. A statutory holiday would be a welcome reward for hard-working Quebecers.
Lord knows, just because kids have a ped day doesn’t mean their parents have a day off. Teachers who have children still have to work. After-school care staff are on deck. Remote workers may be toiling away in their home offices while trying to cope with little distractions. Family Day would allow families to actually spend precious time together.
Quebec is one of the most family-friendly places in North America, with enviable maternity, paternity and parental leave programs. We pioneered subsidized daycare programs the rest of Canada is now establishing. Why shouldn’t we, too, have a day to celebrate families?
Recommended from Editorial
Allison Hanes: Most of Canada is enjoying a day off. Why aren’t Quebecers?
Allison Hanes: While the ROC is sleeping in, we’re suffering without a stat day
One last thought: It’s no secret Legault’s approval ratings have drooped in recent months. Decreeing a stat could be an instant popularity booster. It might be crass populism, but it would sure be a crowd pleaser.
I rest my case for another year.
ahanes@postmedia.com
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