While it won’t mean a day off for most, September 19th has officially been declared a provincial day of mourning in Alberta. The government is inviting people to take part in an outdoor ceremony in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, and encouraging employers to give employees the opportunity to take part in a ceremony or otherwise mark the occasion of her funeral.
Schools are also being encouraged to offer the same opportunity, with Premier Jason Kenney saying more information will be provided to school boards Wednesday.
“Albertans, Canadians and the peoples of the Commonwealth will join together on this day in sorrow to mourn the death of Her late Majesty and to commemorate her long and faithful service. I sincerely hope that Albertans find some time on this day to honour the remarkable life of Queen Elizabeth II and I strongly encourage employers and schools to appropriately mark this sombre and historic occasion.”
A ceremony at the Alberta legislature will be held at 10 a.m. and it will be livestreamed on alberta.ca and on Government of Alberta social media channels. The public is invited to sign books of condolence at the Alberta legislature and other provincial buildings like the Grande Prairie Provincial Building until 4 p.m. on September 18th and online until noon on Monday, September 19th.
On Tuesday, the federal government announced a federal holiday to mark the queen’s funeral on September 19th. Federal government employees will get that day off.