Halloween 2026 Canada: trick-or-treat times by city

Halloween falls on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. No province sets trick-or-treating hours, so most Canadian cities leave the timing to custom, and the sun sets between about 5:30 and 6:15 p.m. in large southern cities. A few towns set rules, such as an 8 p.m. limit in Bathurst, N.B., and some Quebec towns are moving to Friday, Oct. 30.

Updated Oct. 27, 2026: Added the Halloween weather outlook for each region. Earlier update Oct. 23: added a key facts table, the status of Environment Canada’s Halloween forecast, Quebec towns holding trick-or-treating on Friday, Oct. 30, and answers to common questions. Earlier update Oct. 19: added Senneterre, Que.’s Friday rule, police safety advice and the provinces that will not turn clocks back.

The sunset times below come from the National Research Council of Canada sunrise and sunset calculator, and the safety advice comes from Health Canada’s Halloween safety page. The one city rule that is written into law, in Bathurst, N.B., comes from the city’s Halloween bylaw.

Key facts

What will the weather be on Halloween 2026?

Forecasts now reach Saturday, Oct. 31, and the picture varies widely by region. In Montreal, Environment Canada calls for sun and a high of 11 C, with a 30 per cent chance of showers overnight, MTL Blog reported on Oct. 26.

The Weather Network said in its Halloween outlook, published Oct. 24, that parts of B.C. and Alberta could run several degrees below seasonal, with Alberta temperatures falling toward freezing and possible precipitation. Ontario should be at least five degrees above seasonal, with a chance of showers from a disturbance over the Great Lakes, while southern Manitoba and the eastern Prairies are expected to be well above normal. Quebec should be near seasonal with drier weather along the St. Lawrence, and Atlantic Canada should be dry with single-digit temperatures. The Weather Network cautioned that the exact trick-or-treat window is hard to pin down days ahead, so check your local forecast on Halloween. Check theEnvironment Canada weather site or the WeatherCAN app for your city in the days before, and watch for colour-coded alerts.

Winter weather has already reached parts of the Prairies, with a winter storm warning issued for northern Manitoba this weekend and snow forecast for northern Saskatchewan. Families in colder regions may want costumes that fit over warm layers and boots. Our winter storm prep checklist covers what to have on hand if the weather turns.

Because Oct. 31 is a Saturday this year, children will not have school the next morning, and many families are likely to head out earlier in daylight. Clocks fall back one hour the next morning, at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, in most of Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and most of Nunavut, but not in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, the Northwest Territories or, under a planned regulation, Ontario’s northwest. That change does not affect Halloween night itself. Our guide to the end of daylight saving time in 2026 explains which provinces change their clocks this fall.

What time is sunset on Halloween 2026?

The table shows sunset and the end of civil twilight, the point when it is effectively dark outside, for Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in local time. The National Research Council publishes its times in standard time, so one hour has been added for places on daylight time that evening. Saskatchewan and Yukon stay on the same time all year, so their times are shown as published.

In practice, that means most trick-or-treating in southern Canada will happen after dark. Families who want younger children to finish in daylight have roughly until 5:30 p.m. in Quebec City and Montreal, and until about 6 p.m. in Toronto, Calgary and Halifax.

What time does trick-or-treating start in 2026?

No federal or provincial law sets trick-or-treating hours. Where rules exist, they come from municipal councils, and most Canadian cities leave the timing to custom. Houses with their porch lights on are generally taken as open for visitors, and Health Canada advises children to visit only homes with exterior lights on.

Bathurst is the best-known exception. Its By-law 2005-17, as amended, says Halloween is celebrated on Oct. 31 each year, that door-to-door trick-or-treating may not take place after 8 p.m., and that facial disguises are not permitted in public after 8 p.m. The bylaw also bars anyone over the age of 16 from trick-or-treating in the city. Fines run from $80 to $200 under New Brunswick’s provincial offences rules, with the province’s young offender procedures applying to children and teenagers. The amendment raised the limits from the original 7 p.m. and age 14.

Some Quebec municipalities organize the evening themselves. Saint-Pie, east of Montreal, has scheduled a candy collection at 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2026, at its Pavillon des loisirs. In Saint-Télesphore, west of Montreal, the municipality said firefighters will patrol the main streets of Saint-Télesphore and Dalhousie from 5 p.m. on Oct. 31 to watch over trick-or-treaters and hand out candy.

In past years, several Quebec towns have moved Halloween to another evening because of weather or the day of the week. One has a standing rule that covers 2026: council in Senneterre, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, adopted a resolution setting Halloween on the Friday closest to Oct. 31, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., for 2025, 2026 and 2027, Narcity reported. With Oct. 31 on a Saturday, the closest Friday this year is Oct. 30. Residents should confirm the date with the town.

Senneterre is not alone this year. Noovo Moi reported on Oct. 20 that several Quebec municipalities will hold trick-or-treating on Friday, Oct. 30, including Chibougamau, which chose the Friday closest to Oct. 31 after a 2024 public consultation. Noovo Moi said its list was not complete and that dates can change, so check with your municipality. Outside Quebec, we found no municipal notice moving Halloween for 2026 as of Oct. 23. If your town has a history of moving the date, check its website or social media in the last week of October.

Is Halloween a statutory holiday in Canada?

Halloween is not a statutory holiday anywhere in Canada. It does not appear on the list of general holidays for federally regulated workers on Canada.ca, or on provincial lists such as Ontario’s public holidays and British Columbia’s statutory holidays. Because it is not a holiday, no provincial rule closes stores or banks for it. The next holiday on the calendar is Remembrance Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and our province-by-province Remembrance Day guide covers who gets that day off and what is closed.

How do I keep kids safe on Halloween?

Health Canada’s guidance, last updated Sept. 24, 2026, says young children should always be supervised by an adult, and older children should go out in groups, follow a planned route through busy, well-lit areas and have a set time to be home.

The department advises trick-or-treaters to stay on sidewalks or paths, to cross only at intersections or crosswalks and never between parked cars, and to carry a flashlight and wear bright or reflective material so drivers can see them. It recommends face paint or makeup instead of masks where possible, because a poorly fitting mask can block vision and make breathing difficult, and suggests a patch test before using face paint.

Parents should check all treats before children eat them, Health Canada said, and throw away anything opened, unwrapped, damaged or homemade. Small, hard or chewy candies should not be given to children under three because they are a choking risk. Families managing food allergies can find label-reading advice on the department’s Halloween food safety page.

For decorations, Health Canada recommends battery-powered lights or flashlights instead of open-flame candles in pumpkins. Our guide on how to make a carved pumpkin last longer in Canada has tips for getting a jack-o’-lantern through to Oct. 31.

Police give similar advice. The Winnipeg Police Service’s Halloween tips ask drivers to slow down in residential areas during peak trick-or-treating hours, stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, stay off their phones and expect children to dart out from between parked cars. For homeowners, the service recommends lighting walkways and entrances, clearing tripping hazards, keeping pets secured and calling police about suspicious activity. Children should agree on a route and return time with an adult, avoid back lanes and cross only at intersections, the service said.

Frequently asked questions

What day is Halloween 2026 in Canada?

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026.

What time does trick-or-treating start in Canada?

There is no official start time in most of Canada. Many children go out around dusk, between about 5:30 and 6:15 p.m. in large southern cities, and houses with porch lights on are generally open to visitors.

Is there a trick-or-treat curfew in Canada?

Only where a municipality sets one. In Bathurst, N.B., the bylaw bars door-to-door trick-or-treating after 8 p.m. and anyone over 16 from taking part.

Are any towns moving Halloween to Friday, Oct. 30?

Yes, some Quebec towns, including Senneterre and Chibougamau. Check your municipality’s website, because lists in the media are not complete.

Is Halloween a statutory holiday in Canada?

No. Halloween is not a statutory holiday in any province or territory.

What is the weather forecast for Halloween 2026?

Environment Canada’s seven-day city forecasts begin to cover Saturday, Oct. 31, around Oct. 25. Check weather.gc.ca or the WeatherCAN app for your city.

Health Canada also has advice on checking treats; see our Halloween candy safety checklist.

Sources: Environment and Climate Change Canada city forecasts issued Oct. 23, 2026; Noovo Moi, Oct. 20, 2026; National Research Council of Canada sunrise and sunset calculator (times for Oct. 31, 2026); Health Canada, Halloween safety and Halloween food safety; Winnipeg Police Service Halloween safety tips; City of Bathurst By-law 2005-17 relating to Halloween; Narcity on Senneterre, Que.; Municipality of Saint-Pie events calendar; Municipality of Saint-Télesphore; Canada.ca general holidays for federally regulated employees; Government of Ontario and Government of British Columbia holiday lists.

Planning for after dark? See our guide to light-up trick-or-treat safety gear on Amazon.ca.

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