What’s open on Christmas Day 2026 in Canada, by province

Whether a store is open on Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25, 2026, depends on provincial law and on the retailer. Quebec bars most retail and large grocery stores, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador close most shops on both Dec. 25 and Dec. 26, and Manitoba has repealed its closing law.

Updated Nov. 9, 2026. Major chains had not posted 2026 holiday hours that we could find as of that date, so this guide sets out what each province’s own rules say and what we could not confirm.

Key facts: Christmas Day 2026 shopping rules

“Retail closed” means the law, as the legislature or government publishes it, bars shops from selling to or admitting the public. Statutes are amended, and the Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island texts we read may not be the latest consolidations, so confirm with your province before relying on a rule for a legal or business decision.

Is Quebec closed on Christmas Day?

Yes for most shopping. Quebec.ca says general retail is closed on Dec. 25, and food stores and SAQ outlets larger than 375 square metres are closed too. Food stores and SAQ outlets of 375 square metres or less may keep normal hours, and pharmacies may open around the clock, including on holidays, the province says.

On Saturday, Dec. 26, general retail may open only from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and large food stores and SAQ outlets stay closed until 1 p.m. The same pattern applies on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, and normal hours resume on Saturday, Jan. 2, according to Quebec.ca.

The Act respecting hours and days of admission to commercial establishments also lists exemptions, including for stores that mainly sell meals, food or alcohol, and for some small pharmacies, newspaper and tobacco shops and fuel stations. Montreal can set its own periods under the Act.

What does a Quebec shopper see in practice?

Take two food stores. A 300-square-metre neighbourhood grocer is under the 375-square-metre line and can open at its regular time on Dec. 25. A 1,200-square-metre supermarket is over it, so it must stay closed all of Dec. 25 and cannot open on Dec. 26 until 1 p.m. The size threshold, not the banner on the door, decides.

Are stores closed on Christmas Day in Ontario?

Ontario’s Retail Business Holidays Act says retail businesses must be closed on seven days, including Christmas Day, according to Ontario.ca. Boxing Day is not on the list.

The province lists exemptions, including municipalities that opt out by bylaw, Toronto, small shops selling only tobacco, antiques, handicrafts or books, nurseries, flower shops, garden centres and gas stations. The page does not name pharmacies, grocery stores or convenience stores, and we could not read the statute text to check, so look at your city’s rules and your retailer’s posted hours.

Are shops closed on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26 in the Atlantic provinces?

All four Atlantic provinces have laws that treat both days as closing days. Nova Scotia’s Retail Business Uniform Closing Day Act lists Christmas Day and Boxing Day, bars retail sales and public admission, and exempts drug stores outside department stores, service stations, restaurants and Christmas tree sales, among others, according to the Act.

New Brunswick’s Days of Rest Act covers both days and exempts restaurants, hotels, gas stations, small food and publication shops with three or fewer people and drug stores under 850 square metres of public area. Local bylaws and permits can change the picture.

Prince Edward Island’s Retail Business Holidays Act lists both days and exempts gas stations, small convenience stores, restaurants, accommodation, drug stores with a pharmacist on duty, bakeries, flower shops and Christmas tree stands. Newfoundland and Labrador’s Shops’ Closing Act lists both days, and exemptions are set by regulation, which we did not read.

What about Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C.?

Manitoba repealed its Retail Businesses Holiday Closing Act effective Dec. 12, 2020, according to the province’s repealed-statutes page, so there is no provincial rule keeping stores shut, though a municipal bylaw could apply. B.C.’s statutory holidays page makes Christmas Day a paid holiday and says nothing about shop closures.

Saskatchewan’s list of public holidays covers Christmas Day for pay purposes only. We could not confirm the Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut rules from a government page this week, and we have not guessed. In most of these places, a store that opens must follow the holiday-pay rules in our Christmas and Boxing Day stat holidays guide.

Are Walmart, Costco and the grocery chains open?

We found no published 2026 Christmas hours for Shoppers Drug Mart or Canadian Tire on their store-locator pages, and we could not load official holiday-hours pages for Walmart Canada, Costco, Loblaw banners, Sobeys or Metro. Chains usually post holiday hours in December, store by store. In provinces with closing laws, the law sets the limit regardless of what a chain would prefer.

Plan to buy groceries and medication by Wednesday, Dec. 23. If you are mailing gifts, check the Canada Post Christmas mailing deadlines and the last day to ship for Christmas. Families planning around closures can also see the school winter break dates by province.

Are liquor stores open on Christmas Day?

Only Quebec has an official statement we could confirm: the province treats SAQ outlets as food stores, so the 375-square-metre rule above applies. We found no Dec. 25, 2026 hours for the LCBO, Manitoba Liquor Marts or B.C. liquor stores, and we did not confirm other provinces. Check the retailer’s site in mid-December.

Canada News Media will update this page when provinces and chains publish their 2026 holiday hours.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.

Sources: Quebec.ca and Legisquebec, Ontario.ca, the Government of Manitoba, the Nova Scotia legislature, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Prince Edward Island, the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, the Province of B.C. and Saskatchewan.ca, linked above and read Nov. 9, 2026. This page is not legal advice.