NORTH BATTLEFORD - At a special meeting Thursday, North Battleford city council voted to make Monday, Sept. 19 a civic holiday in the city.
Council passed a resolution recognizing Sept. 19 as a one time federal holiday in lieu of the National Day of Mourning to honour the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and that the City operate with minimal staffing and that City facilities be closed. The special meeting was held during the noon hour over the Zoom platform.
In speaking to council, Director of Finance Brent Nadon explained that the thinking had been that Sept. 19 would be declared a federal holiday, and Nadon pointed to language in their collective agreements by which city employees would have the day off as a result.
The federal government has since walked back the language a little bit, said Nadon, but he recommended making Monday treated as a stat holiday on a one-time basis.
Again, he cited the collective agreements and possible repercussions if it was found it should have been declared a holiday by the city.
The vote carried, but it was not unanimous. Councillor Kelli Hawtin voted against, noting that the federal government was making this a day off for paid federal government employees only, and it was not being made a holiday under the Canadian Labour Code.
Not all cities in Saskatchewan are treating Monday as a stat holiday. Both Regina and Saskatoon have confirmed that Sept. 19 will not be a municipal stat holiday in those cities.
