Monday will be a day off for many Ontarians as the province celebrates a civic holiday on the first weekend of August 2022.
Unlike most statutory holidays in the province, the August long weekend brings a mixed bag of operating hours for retail, restaurants and services with some open and others closed.
Here’s a list of some common businesses and services that will be open and closed on the civic holiday:
Hamilton
Administrative offices: Offices are closed on Monday.
Licensing and bylaw services: Licensing and bylaw phone queue line will be closed on Monday. Service will resume on Tuesday.
Green bin, garbage and recycling: No collection on Monday. Pickup will be one day later if it falls on or after the holiday. The city says all materials must be at the curb by 7 a.m. Community recycling centres and transfer stations will be closed.
HSR Bus: Buses will operate on regular Sunday/holiday service on Monday.
GO Transit: Trains and buses are operating on a Saturday schedule.
ATS DARTS: The City of Hamilton recently ordered its third-party provider of accessible transit to remove about a third of its vehicle fleet from service. For more information on rides check out the city’s website.
Ontario Works: The program, including the Special Supports, will be closed. Phone service will resume on Tuesday.
Recreation centres: Closed on Aug. 1.
Hamilton civic museums: Dundurn National Historic Site, the Hamilton Military Museum and the Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology will be closed on Aug. 1.
Art Gallery of Hamilton: Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m on Monday.
Tourism Hamilton visitor information centre: Closed Sunday and Monday.
Hamilton Public Library: All HPL branches are closed. For information on what services are operating, visit the library’s website at hpl.ca.
Social services: Housing services, as well as the Career Development Centre and Special Supports, will be closed on the civic holiday.
Senior centres: Hamilton Seniors centres will either be closed or run on a modified (four-hour) schedule.
Arenas: Either closed or on a modified schedule.
Animal services: Closed on Monday.
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope: Closed. Weekly hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday.
Burlington
Government offices: Government locations such as city hall, municipal offices and facilities will be closed Monday.
Administrative services: Services including parks, roads and forestry will be closed on the civic holiday.
Animal Shelter and Control: Closed Monday. Emergencies can be called in to 905-335-3030.
Recreation centres: Indoor drop-in activities such as swimming and gym times are on a reduced schedule over the civic long weekend. Visit burlington.ca/outdoorplay for more information. The city’s nine splash pads will be open Aug. 1.
Halton Provincial Offences Court: Closed on Monday.
Free parking: Available Monday in the downtown core in municipal lots, on-street and in the parking garage, however, the Waterfront parking lots (east and west) do not provide free parking on statutory holidays. Paid parking, on weekends only, begins at Beachway Park. Reservations are required for Lowville Park.
Burlington Transit: Transit will operate a holiday schedule Monday. The downtown transit terminal, specialized dispatch and the administration office will be closed.
Niagara Region
Government offices: City halls, the Enterprise Centre and administration offices are all closed on the civic holiday.
Parks, recreation and culture services: Administration offices are all closed on Aug. 1.
- Open on Monday: Lakeside Park Carousel, Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm, splash pads, Morningstar Mill, Garden City Golf Course and the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre
- Closed on Monday: St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre, arenas, Russell Avenue and Port Weller Community Centres, Dunlop Drive, Port Dalhousie and West St. Catharines older adult centres, Victoria Lawn Cemetery administration office, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and Meridian Centre box offices
St. Catharines Museum; Welland Canals Centre: Both facilities will be open Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
St. Catharines Transit; Niagara Falls Transit: Both services will operate on a holiday schedule for the civic holiday.
Welland Transit: No daytime or evening service Monday.
Shops and Services
Canada Post: No collection or delivery of mail on Aug. 1. However, some post offices operated by the private sector may be open.
Grocery stores: Grocery store operating hours on the civic holiday vary by region with most locations open with altered hours.
Shoppers Drug Mart: Many locations will be open on Aug. 1, but not all. Civic holiday hours can be seen on the Shoppers store locator map.
Malls: Most major shopping centres in Hamilton, Burlington, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls will be open. Hours for some of the most notable are as follows:
- Eastgate Square: Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Lime Ridge Mall: Open 10 a.m to 9 p.m.
- The Centre on Barton: Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- The Pen Centre: Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Fairview Mall: Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Mapleview Centre: Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Burlington Centre: Open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Outlet Collection at Niagara Falls: Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- CF Toronto Eaton Centre: Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills: Open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Pacific Mall in Toronto: Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In Toronto, retailers in designated tourist areas such as Yorkville, downtown Yonge, Queen’s Quay West and the Distillery District can stay open, according to City of Toronto bylaws.
Walmart: Walmarts in the GTHA are open with most have hours between 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Alcohol
The Beer Store: Some Beer Stores will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the civic holiday. They include:
Hamilton
- Parkdale Avenue North (at Barton Street)
- Barton Street East (at Ottawa Street North)
- Fennell Avenue East (at Upper Gage)
- Eastgate Square
- Barton Street East (at Ferguson Avenue)
- Upper James Street (at Stone Church Road)
- Upper James Street (at Wembley Road)
Brantford
- Murray Street (at Grey)
- King George Road (at Royal Oak Drive)
- Market Street South (at Icomm Drive)
Burlington
- Guelph Line (at Upper Middle Road)
- New Street (at Appleby Line)
LCBO: Stores will be closed.
Tourist destinations
Niagara Falls: Most Niagara Falls attractions will be running on the holiday Monday, including the Whirlpool Aero Car, Journey Behind the Falls, Botanical Gardens, Butterfly Conservatory and all the nature and garden parks and centres.
However, some shopping and dining spots like Legends on the Niagara, Table Rock Patio and the Whirlpool Restaurant will be closed.
Toronto: Most Toronto attractions will be open Aug. 1 including:
- Ripley’s Aquarium will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- The Toronto Zoo will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- The Art Gallery of Ontario will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- The Ontario Science Centre will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Royal Ontario Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.