School winter break 2026-27: dates by province

Most Canadian students finish classes on Friday, Dec. 18, 2026, and return on Monday, Jan. 4, 2027, but the dates depend on the school board. Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador publish province-wide calendars; B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba leave winter break to local boards.

Updated Oct. 24, 2026

Key facts: winter break 2026-27

When is Christmas break for schools in each province?

The table below uses each government’s or school board’s own 2026-27 calendar, linked in the notes that follow. Where a province lets boards set the dates, one or more large boards are shown as examples. Check your own board before booking travel.

What are the Ontario and Atlantic dates?

Ontario’s school year calendars page lists Christmas vacation as Monday, Dec. 21, to Friday, Jan. 1, with schools reopening Monday, Jan. 4, 2027. March break is Monday, March 15, to Friday, March 19, 2027.

Nova Scotia’s 2026-27 school calendar shows Christmas break from Dec. 22 to Jan. 1, so classes run on Monday, Dec. 21 and resume Jan. 4. March break is March 8 to 12, 2027, and the year ends June 30.

Prince Edward Island’s provincial calendar lists Friday, Dec. 18, as the last instructional day before Christmas and Monday, Jan. 4, as the return. Its March break is March 19 to 25, 2027.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s school holiday schedule lists Dec. 22 as the last day before Christmas and Jan. 4 as the day schools reopen. That is the latest finish before Christmas among the provinces that publish one date.

In New Brunswick, districts publish their own calendars. The Anglophone West calendar shows Dec. 18 as the last day of classes and Jan. 4 as the first day back. Other New Brunswick districts were not checked for this guide.

What are the Quebec dates?

Quebec’s school service centres adopt their own calendars within provincial rules. Narcity reported that the holiday vacation runs from Monday, Dec. 21, 2026, to Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, and may be longer at some service centres. Classes would resume Monday, Jan. 4. The same report put the 2027 spring break week at March 1 to 5. A government-published provincewide date was not located, so parents should confirm with their service centre.

What are the Prairie and B.C. dates?

In British Columbia, boards set calendars. The Greater Victoria district lists Friday, Dec. 18, as the last day of class and Monday, Jan. 4, as the return. A Vancouver School Board school calendar shows a Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 vacation.

In Alberta, Edmonton Public Schools’ calendar shows winter break from Dec. 21 to 31 and a Jan. 4 return. Elk Island Public Schools lists Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. The Fort McMurray boards list Dec. 18 to Jan. 3. The Calgary Board of Education calendar could not be confirmed for this guide.

In Saskatchewan, Regina Public Schools lists Dec. 21 to 31 with classes resuming Jan. 4. The Good Spirit division lists Dec. 21 to Jan. 4, and the Chinook division lists Dec. 23 to Jan. 4.

Manitoba’s provincial calendar form fixes the school year start at Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, spring break at March 29 to April 2, 2027, and school closing at June 30, 2027. The winter dates are left for each division to fill in, and none were found for this guide.

What are the territorial dates?

Yukon Education’s 2026-27 calendar shows most Whitehorse schools out from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 and back Jan. 4. Some schools, including Ross River, Watson Lake Secondary and Johnson Elementary, return Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Yellowknife’s YK1 calendar shows a Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 break and a Jan. 4 return for kindergarten to Grade 8.

Nunavut’s territorial school calendar varies by community. Iqaluit schools break on Dec. 17 or 18 and return Jan. 4. Resolute breaks Dec. 22 and returns Jan. 6. Several communities, including Arviat, Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet, return Jan. 4 or 5.

How many days off is that? A worked example

Because Christmas falls on a Friday, the weekends on both sides of the break add to the time out of class. In Ontario, a student who finishes Friday, Dec. 18, is out of school from Saturday, Dec. 19, to Sunday, Jan. 3, which is 16 days in a row. Ten of those are weekdays, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, classes run through Tuesday, Dec. 22. The break then covers Dec. 23 to Jan. 3, which is 12 days in a row and eight weekdays. In Fort McMurray, where the break starts Dec. 18, the stretch is 17 days and 11 weekdays.

Do bus service and Christmas deadlines change?

Bus service follows the school calendar, so there is none on break days. Statutory holiday rules for Dec. 25 and Dec. 26 are covered in our guide to Christmas and Boxing Day 2026 stat holidays by province, and parcel cut-off dates are in our Canada Post Christmas mailing deadlines for 2026. Families driving long distances can check winter driving rules by province first.

Frequently asked questions

When does school end for Christmas 2026 in Canada?

For most boards that published dates, the last day of classes is Friday, Dec. 18, 2026. Newfoundland and Labrador runs to Dec. 22, Nova Scotia to Dec. 21 and some Nunavut communities end as early as Dec. 17.

When do students go back to school in January 2027?

Monday, Jan. 4, 2027, in nearly every calendar checked. Some rural Yukon schools return Jan. 5, Chinook division in Saskatchewan and some Nunavut communities return Jan. 5 or later, and Resolute returns Jan. 6.

Is there a province-wide winter break date in Canada?

No. Education is a provincial and territorial responsibility, and several provinces leave the calendar to local boards, so dates differ even within one province.

Why could my board’s dates differ from this guide?

Boards can change calendars, and some Alberta boards said dates could shift if diploma exam schedules change. Treat your board’s current calendar as final.

Sources: the school calendars linked above, read Oct. 24, 2026, plus Narcity for Quebec. Dates for Manitoba, Calgary and most Quebec and New Brunswick boards were not confirmed. We will update this page as more boards publish.

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