April 7, 1998
(Environment and Labour)

Easter Sunday restored as Shops Closing Day

Oliver Langdon, Minister of Environment and Labour, announced today, an amendment to the Shops Closing Act which restores Easter Sunday as a holiday under that act. Shops will be required to close on Easter Sunday unless specifically exempted in the act.

Last week government announced that Easter Sunday will be a shops closing day under the Shops Closing Act. The minister wishes to emphasize that Easter Sunday is not a paid public holiday under the Labour Standards Act. There are only five paid public holidays under the Labour Standards Act: New Year's Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Labour Day and Christmas Day.

Minister Langdon stated: "To make things clear, in January 1998, Government removed 52 Sundays from the Shops Closing Act. Today we are putting one back."

Contact: Sean Kelly, Director of Communications, (709) 729-2575.

1998 04 06                             5:35 p.m.