Canada to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's funeral with national holiday Sept. 19
September 14, 2022, 10:00 am

Canada to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's funeral with national holiday Sept. 19

This afternoon The Queen received the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, for an Audience at Windsor Castle (File photo: The Royal Family official Facebook page)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday (Sep 13) declared a national holiday as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral Sept. 19, but not all of Canada's provinces will follow suit, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Trudeau's announcement covers federal government employees as Ottawa does not have jurisdiction over employees of the 10 provinces and three territories.

"We will be working with the provinces and the territories to try and see that we're aligned on this," Trudeau said in the announcement in New Brunswick where he is holding a retreat for Liberal members of parliament.

"There are still a few details to be worked out, but declaring an opportunity for Canadians to mourn on Monday is going to be important."

But already Ontario, Canada's most populated province with about one-third of Canada's 38 million residents, has said no to the idea. Instead, Premier Doug Ford's office said there will be a "day of mourning" with no school or business closures.

The Queen’s coffin lies at rest in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh - The Royal Family official Twitter account

“The people of Ontario may observe a moment of silence at 1:00 p.m. on that day,” the office said in a statement. “We encourage all Ontarians to use this day to honor Her Majesty and pay tribute to the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind.”

Ford's announcement was urged by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), a powerful lobby of small business owners with 95,000 members. The CFIB said making Sept. 19 a statutory paid holiday would cost employers too much in extra pay to employees and cost the economy billions of dollars.

King Charles leads siblings in holding vigil beside Queen’s coffin in Edinburgh

Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province, followed Ottawa's lead, while Nova Scotia and New Brunswick said provincial schools and government offices will close but it will be optional for individual businesses and employers.

Quebec will mark Sept. 19 as a day of commemoration, but not a holiday. Other governments have yet to announce their intentions.

It is worthy to note that Canada is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and as such, the queen was its titular head of state for 70 years.

Source: aa

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”