Thanksgiving in Ontario Cities: What’s Open & Closed Oct. 14, 2024

This year, Thanksgiving Monday falls on Oct. 14, 2024 in Ontario.

Thanksgiving has been officially celebrated as an annual holiday in Canada since Nov. 6, 1879, typically taking place on the second Monday in October.

On Jan. 31, 1957, Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada, issued a proclamation stating, “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the second Monday in October.”

Unlike its counterpart in the U.S., the Canadian celebration takes place earlier in the fall to coincide with the harvest season in the colder country.

Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday throughout the country, except in the Atlantic provinces of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, where the holiday is optional.

On Thanksgiving, schools, government offices, and many non-essential businesses tend to close.

Here’s a look at what’s open and closed on Thanksgiving Monday in:

• Mississauga
• Toronto
• Brampton
• Halton – Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills
• Hamilton
• Durham
• Niagara

Mississauga

In Mississauga, most shops and grocery stores will be closed on the holiday Monday. 

As for what will be open, residents can visit Square One Shopping Centre (including the Walmart Supercentre, The Food District and The Rec Room), Whole Foods Square One, T&T Supermarket, some restaurants (call ahead to be sure), some smaller grocery stores (such as Rabba grocery stores), most Shoppers Drug Mart locations and movie theatres. 

Many places will be closed, including municipal, provincial and federal government offices, all Region of Peel non-emergency services, most major grocery stores, most major shopping malls (including Erin Mills Town Centre, Dixie Outlet Mall and Heartland Town Centre), banks, libraries, community centres and all Beer Store and LCBO locations. 

Canada Post will also be closed (no mail pick-up or delivery).

GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule and MiWay will run on a regular Sunday schedule.

There will be no waste collection on Monday, Oct. 14. Community Recycling Centres are closed and will reopen on Tuesday.

To learn more about everything that’s open and closed in Mississauga on Thanksgiving, click here.

Brampton

In Brampton, most non-essential businesses, including City Hall, will be closed.

That said, residents can visit Bramalea City Centre (although not all retailers are guaranteed to be open), most Shoppers Drug Mart locations, some smaller grocery stores (such as Rabba grocery stores), some restaurants (call ahead), movie theatres and select recreational facilities.

Places that will be closed on Oct. 14 include Shoppers World, most major grocery stores, banks, libraries (which will be closed on Sunday and Monday), non-essential government offices (including Region of Peel services), LCBO and Beer Store locations, Canada Post (no mail pick-up or delivery) and the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA).

Garbage and recycling will be collected one day later and Community Recycling Centres will be closed.

Brampton Transit will operate on a holiday schedule. Major transit terminals, including access to the lost and found, will be closed. GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule.

For more information on what will be open and closed in Brampton, click here.

Halton
Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills

Much like other regions, most non-essential services and businesses will be closed in Halton on Thanksgiving Monday.

That said, residents can still visit local parks and certain outdoor recreational amenities, most Shoppers Drug Mart locations, most restaurants that are typically open on Mondays, smaller grocery stores (such as Rabba), Conservation Halton Parks such as Crawford Lake, Hilton Falls, Kelso, Mount Nemo, Mountsberg and Rattlesnake Point, Terra Cotta Conservation Area in Halton Hills, some Starbucks and Tim Hortons cafes and Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills.

Banks, non-emergency government services (including city and town halls and Halton Region offices), the animal shelter, most community centres, seniors’ centres, pools, arenas and libraries, all LCBO and Beer Store locations, the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts and the Mattamy National Cycling Centre will be closed. The Milton Mall, Burlington Centre, Mapleview Mall and Oakville Place will also be closed.

Oakville Transit will be offering its holiday service schedule, Burlington Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule, Milton Transit will not operate and GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule.

There will be no garbage pick up on Monday, Oct. 14 (all waste collection will be one day later than usual).

For more information on what will be open and closed in Halton, click here.

Hamilton

Much like in other jurisdictions, most non-essential businesses will be closed. That said, residents can visit movie theatres, most Shoppers Drug Mart locations, bars, cafes and restaurants that are typically open on Mondays (call ahead to be sure), Splitsville Bowling, convenience stores and some cannabis stores.

Most major grocery stores, Lime Ridge Mall, Eastgate Square, Jackson Square, non-essential municipal, provincial and federal government offices, banks, LCBO and Beer Store locations, libraries, community centres, civic museums, the Gage Park Greenhouse, Canada Post (no mail pickup or delivery), the Hamilton Farmers’ Market and the Animal Services office counter will be closed.

The HSR will work on a Sunday schedule and GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule. DARTS will operate on holiday service hours.

Garbage and recycling will be collected one day later. Waste must be at the curb by 7 a.m. Community Recycling Centres will reopen on Tuesday.

To learn more about what will be open and closed, click here.

Durham

In Durham, most non-essential businesses will be closed.

That said, a number of places will be open, including most restaurants, bars and cafes that are usually open on Mondays (call ahead to be sure), Cineplex movie theatres in Bowmanville, Oshawa, Ajax and Pickering, Landmark Cinemas in Whitby and Roxy Theatre in Uxbridge, most Shoppers Drug Mart locations, outdoor recreational facilities, including major parks and trails such as the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail and the Oak Ridges Morain, most craft breweries, some rec centres in Oshawa, some cannabis stores, convenience stores, the Oshawa Zoo and all three casinos: Pickering Casino Resort, Ajax Casino and Blue Heron Casino in Scugog.

Place that will be closed include banks, non-essential government offices (including all town and city halls), Canada Post (no mail pick-up or delivery), libraries, Pickering Town Centre, Oshawa Centre, all LCBO and Beer Store locations, most major grocery stores, art galleries and museums, most community centres, arenas and pools, Service Oshawa, Humane Society of Durham Region and schools.

Durham Region Transit and Pulse will run on a holiday schedule and GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule.

Monday’s blue box collection will be re-scheduled for the next day in Whitby and Oshawa.

Niagara

Since Niagara Falls and Niagara-0n-the-Lake are tourist destinations, many attractions will be open on Thanksgiving. Residents will also be able to visit the Smart Centre and the Canada One Mall in Niagara Falls, The Outlet Collection in Niagara-on-the-Lake, restaurants throughout Niagara (but call ahead to be sure), some smaller grocery stores, movie theatres, most Shoppers Drug Mart locations and wineries and breweries (but always call ahead just in case).

Niagara Falls tourist attractions such as Bird Kingdom, The Fun House, Niagara City Cruises, Clifton Hill Entertainment, Niagara Falls Fun Zone and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! will be open.

Wine Rack locations are open across the region.

Several places will be closed, including The Pen Centre and Fairview Mall in St. Catharines, non-emergency municipal services (including all town and city halls, federal and provincial government offices), Canada Post (no mail pickup or delivery), most major grocery stores, banks, LCBO and Beer Store locations, and most community centres and libraries.

Niagara Falls Public Transit, Welland Public Transit and St. Catharine Public Transit will all run on holiday schedules. The Niagara Inter-Municipal Transit Service, which operates a region-wide transit system with stops in St. Catharines, Welland, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, Thorold and Fort Erie, will run on a holiday schedule. GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule.

There will be no garbage pickup on Oct. 14. All pickups will be one day later.

To learn more about what’s open and closed, click here.

Toronto

In Toronto, the usual suspects–schools, banks, non-essential government offices, etc–will be closed. That said, many attractions will be open on the holiday Monday. Residents and visitors can check out the Eaton Centre, Pacific Mall, Rabba grocery stores, most Whole Foods locations, Summerhill Market, Eataly (all locations), Wellington Market, restaurants, bars and cafes that are typically open on Mondays (including restos at The Well), and Wine Rack locations.

A number of tourist attractions will also be open, including Ripley’s Aquarium, the AGO, the ROM, the Toronto Zoo, the CN Tower, the Aga Khan Museum, the Hockey Hall of Fame, Casa Loma, Allan Gardens Conservatory, Centennial Park Conservatory, High Park Animal Display and Riverdale Farm. Parks and trails will also be open.

Non-emergency federal, provincial and municipal (including City Hall) offices, Canada Post (no mail pick-up or delivery), banks, libraries, the St. Lawrence Market, Sherway Gardens, Dufferin Mall, Scarborough Town Centre, Yorkdale, the Shops at Don Mills, all LCBO and Beer Store locations and most major grocery stores will be closed.

The TTC will operate on a holiday service schedule and GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule.

Garbage and recycling pickup will not be impacted.