Quebec vets push to make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday

CTV Montreal: Remembrance Day Quebec vets are pushing to make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday

A group of veterans is pushing for Quebec to adopt Remembrance Day as an official statutory holiday.

“It would commemorate in a more official fashion the sacrifices our veterans have made and including their families,” said veteran Kenneth Ouellet, Quebec provincial command of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Canadian Parliament recently adopted private bill, Bill C-311, that will turn Nov. 11 into an official Canada-wide holiday, as is currently the case in most provinces.

The Canadian Legion, however, is officially against C-311, fearing that the significance of Remembrance Day will turn into a meaningless day off for a majority of Canadians if they have the day off.

“In the provinces where there is time off, people actually go to the ceremonies, there's an increase in attendances,” said Colin Fraser, federal MP for West Nova, who sponsored the private member's bill.

The Quebec provincial command supports the bill.

“If you have Canada and Quebec able to have our rights, it's because others made sacrifices for them,” said Ouellet, who served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 41 years.

Despite the bill’s adoption, provinces still have the final word on making Nov. 11 a day off.

Quebec employers say they can't afford to pay additional statutory holidays to their workers.

“The question is not, ‘Is it important or not?’ The question is, ‘Do we have to add a new statutory day?’ As employers, I would say most employers will certainly not be in favour of it,” said Yves-Thomas Dorval, president of the Conseil du Patronat.

Fraser says creating a new holiday nationwide, though, will put pressure on the hold-out provinces to fall in line with the rest of the country.

“This may hopefully encourage or revisit or rethink how each province marks November 11,” he said.

The issue has yet to be raised in the National Assembly.