Christmas Day is here, which for many means it’s a time to stay cozy and spend time with family.
But it also means many businesses you rely on may not be open.
Here’s a list of what’s open and what’s closed across Canada on Christmas Day, Dec. 25 and Boxing Day, Dec. 26.
Grocery stores, pharmacies and liquor stores
Most big grocery stores across Canada will remain closed for all of Christmas and Boxing Day.
Loblaws, Walmart, Longo’s, Metro and Costco will all remain closed throughout most of the country.
Rabba Fine Foods, a retail grocery store based in the Greater Toronto Area, however, will remain open throughout the holiday season.
“Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas,” the company says on its website.
While LCBO and Beer Store locations in Ontario are going to be closed on Christmas Day, Wine Rack outlets in the Toronto area will be open.
In other places, like Kingston, Ont., Wine Rack stores will remain closed. However, where permitted by local municipalities, some LCBO Convenience Outlets might be open with regular hours of business.
Most B.C. liquor stores will be closed. In Halifax, while NSLC outlets were open on Sunday, they closed for Christmas and Boxing Day.
Pharmacies across Canada will be operating on reduced capacity. Select Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall stores will be operating but will open for reduced hours. For example, some Shoppers stores are only going to remain open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Is transit running?
Most transit services across the country are operating on holiday schedules.
Get daily news
Subway service in Toronto on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day starts at 8 a.m. and the system will operate on a Sunday service schedule. On Boxing Day, it starts at 6 a.m. and the system will operate on a holiday schedule.
Montreal bus lines operate on a holiday schedule on Dec. 25-26 and Jan. 1-2. See schedules at stm.info/en or call 514-288-6287. The metro will run between 12:45 p.m. and 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve depending on the line.
Kingston transit will not operate on Christmas. All Halifax Transit and Access-A-Bus services will be operating on reduced holiday hours during Christmas and Boxing Day.
All Halifax ferry services will cease operations on Dec. 25, with the Alderney Ferry resuming and running on a holiday service schedule the following day. There will be no Woodside Ferry on Tuesday.
While most B.C. Transit services will operate on holiday schedule, the West Coast Express will not operate. Calgary busses and C-Trains are operating on a Sunday level of service. On demand service will operate on Sunday schedule and level of service.
What about other services?
Banks and post offices across the country will be closed for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Mail collection and delivery are cancelled on Monday (Christmas Day) and Tuesday (Boxing Day).
Public libraries will also be shut for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Some cities will pause municipal services, such as garbage collection, but most will resume on Boxing Day or shortly after. In a media release on Friday, Halifax Regional Municipality said there will be no garbage, organics or recyclables collection services on Christmas Day. Curbside collection that would typically happen on Monday will instead occur on Saturday morning. In some cities, like Kingston, collection will resume on Dec. 27.
Malls, shopping centres and tourist attractions
The tigers, wolves and tortoises at the Edmonton Valley Zoo will all take the day off as the zoo will remain closed on Christmas Day. The reindeer, though, seem to have an inexplicably busy day. One of them had a conspicuously red nose.
Major shopping centres in Canada, from Ottawa’s Rideau Centre to the West Edmonton Mall, will remain closed.
While your plans to visit the Vancouver Art Gallery or the Art Gallery of Ontario will have to wait until after Christmas Day, some tourist attractions are accessible on Dec. 25.
The CN Tower in downtown Toronto will be open for admission between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. However, the restaurant inside the Toronto landmark will be closed.