Remembrance Day falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, which makes it a mid-week holiday this year.
Banks and government offices close, and Canada Post won’t deliver mail. Most kids get the day off school. But unlike some provinces, Alberta doesn’t make stores close, so groceries, malls, pharmacies and restaurants can all open.
Whether you get paid extra depends on one question: is Wednesday a normal workday for you?
Here’s what’s open, what’s closed, how holiday pay works, and where to go at 11 a.m.
What’s open and closed on Nov. 11
| Business or service | Nov. 11, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Banks | Most branches closed. ATMs and online banking still work |
| Federal and provincial government offices | Closed |
| Canada Post | No mail delivery or pickup. Corporate post offices closed |
| Registry agents | Many closed; they’re independently run, so check yours |
| Courts | Closed for regular business |
| Public schools | No classes in most divisions |
| Libraries | Check your branch |
| Costco | Check your warehouse |
| Grocery stores | Many open, often on holiday hours |
| Malls | Many open, some after 11 a.m. |
| Pharmacies | Many open, often shorter hours |
| Gas stations and convenience stores | Most open |
| Restaurants and coffee shops | Many open |
| Edmonton and Calgary transit | Holiday service expected; confirm the schedule |
Last updated Nov. 1. We’ll confirm 2026 hours for Costco, major malls and transit as they’re announced.
Is Costco open on Remembrance Day?
In past years, Costco has closed its Alberta warehouses on Nov. 11. It hasn’t posted 2026 hours yet. Check your warehouse’s page on costco.ca before you go. That applies to Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge and everywhere else.
Are Walmart, Superstore and grocery stores open?
Most will be. Walmart, Real Canadian Superstore, Safeway, Sobeys and Save-On-Foods have generally opened on Remembrance Day in Alberta, often with shorter hours.
Alberta law lets stores open as long as staff are paid correctly. That doesn’t mean every location will, so check the store’s Nov. 11 hours instead of assuming a regular Wednesday schedule.
Are West Edmonton Mall, Chinook and other malls open?
Alberta malls are allowed to open. West Edmonton Mall, Kingsway, Southgate, CF Chinook Centre, Southcentre and CrossIron Mills are likely to run holiday hours, and some stores inside may not open until after the 11 a.m. moment of silence.
The mall’s hours and a given store’s hours aren’t always the same. If you’re going for one shop, check that shop.
Banks, government offices and mail
Most bank branches are closed. ATMs, online banking and mobile banking still work, but some transfers won’t process until Thursday, Nov. 12.
Federal and provincial government offices are closed.
Canada Post lists Nov. 11 as a holiday: no regular mail delivery or collection. Corporate post offices close, while postal counters inside drugstores and other shops follow that store’s hours. Regular service resumes Thursday.
Is Remembrance Day a paid stat holiday in Alberta?
Yes. Remembrance Day is one of Alberta’s nine general holidays under the Employment Standards Code.
To qualify for holiday pay, you generally need to have worked for the same employer for at least 30 workdays in the 12 months before the holiday. You can lose your eligibility if you skip a holiday shift you were scheduled for, or miss your last scheduled shift before the holiday or your first one after it, without your employer’s okay.
What you get depends on your schedule.
If Wednesday isn’t normally a workday but you’re called in: you’re generally entitled to 1.5 times your wage for the hours you work.
Two things decide all of this: whether Wednesday counts as a regular day of work for you, and how your average daily wage is calculated. Both have their own legal definitions. Our full breakdown is here: Alberta Stat Holidays 2026: Full List, Dates and Pay Rules
If you’d rather just get a number, our stat holiday pay calculator works it out for you.
The 5-of-9 rule for shift workers
If your schedule changes every week, as it does for many people in retail, restaurants and health care, this rule is the one that matters most.
Wednesday counts as one of your regular workdays if you’ve worked at least five of the last nine Wednesdays. So a server who worked six of the past nine Wednesdays is treated as a regular Wednesday worker, even without a fixed schedule. That can change what you’re owed.
What does that look like at $20 an hour?
Say you normally work eight hours on Wednesdays at $20 an hour, so your average daily wage is about $160. If you work an eight-hour shift on Remembrance Day under the time-and-a-half option:
8 hours × $30 = $240
plus your average daily wage = $160
Total: $400 for the day
Your actual average daily wage is calculated from your earnings over a recent four-week period, so it may not match your regular day’s pay exactly. Plug in your own hours and wage here.
Your employer could instead pay you $160 for the shift and give you a paid day off later.
Your actual average daily wage is calculated from your earnings over a recent four-week period, so it may not match your regular day’s pay exactly. Collective agreements and contracts can offer more than these minimums, and some jobs have special rules.
Read more: Alberta Stat Holidays 2026: Full List, Dates & Pay Rules
You can also work out your own number with our Stat Holiday Pay calculator.
Are schools closed?
Most Alberta public schools won’t have classes on Nov. 11, and some divisions are taking a longer break around it.
Edmonton Catholic Schools (traditional calendar): off Nov. 11 to 13.
Calgary Board of Education and Edmonton Public Schools: check your school’s 2026-27 calendar for days off around the holiday.
If you need child care, confirm the dates with your school before the week of Nov. 9.
Will ETS and Calgary Transit run?
Yes, but plan for a holiday schedule, not a regular Wednesday.
Edmonton Transit has run Saturday-level bus and LRT service on past Remembrance Days, and buses and trains pause at 11 a.m. where it’s safe, for the moment of silence. Veterans and serving members have ridden free in past years.
Calgary Transit ran Saturday-level bus, CTrain and On Demand service last year, with free rides for veterans and their families.
Both cities usually confirm their schedules in the week before. If you’re heading to a morning ceremony, leave extra time.
Remembrance Day ceremonies in Calgary
The Military Museums, 4520 Crowchild Trail S.W.
Gates open 9 a.m. The ceremony runs 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., with two minutes of silence at 11.
It includes the Last Post and a wreath laying. The museum then opens by donation until 6 p.m.
Parking is at nearby sites, including Master’s Academy and Flames Community Arenas. The ceremony is also livestreamed on the museum’s Facebook and YouTube.
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 1415 14 Ave. N.W.
Doors open 9 a.m. The ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by a march-past outside.
It’s free, with no tickets and free parking, but seating is first come, first served.
Field of Crosses, Memorial Drive N.W.
Thousands of crosses honour southern Albertans who died in military service. A ceremony is traditionally held there on Nov. 11. Check the organizers’ 2026 details for the time and road access.
Remembrance Day ceremonies in Edmonton
Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum, Prince of Wales Armouries, 10440 108 Ave. N.W.
Open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the formal ceremony at 11 a.m.
Free (donations welcome). There’s music from the Edmonton Heritage Community Band, military vehicles outside, family activities and open galleries.
Limited free parking is available nearby.
City Hall cenotaph and the Butterdome
Both have traditionally hosted large ceremonies. Their 2026 times hadn’t been posted when this was published, so check with the organizers.
Grey Cup week starts the same day
The Grey Cup Festival opens at Stampede Park in Calgary at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, well after the morning ceremonies, so you can do both. Expect busier transit and roads around Stampede Park that evening.
Why 11 a.m.?
The armistice that ended the fighting in the First World War took effect at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
The poppy comes from In Flanders Fields, the poem written in 1915 by Canadian doctor and soldier Lt.-Col. John McCrae. The Royal Canadian Legion’s Poppy Campaign runs from the last Friday of October until Nov. 11, and the money raised supports veterans and their families.
Today, Canadians pause for two minutes of silence to remember everyone who served and died, from both world wars and Korea to Afghanistan and peacekeeping missions.
Before Nov. 11
Shopping? Check that store’s Nov. 11 hours.
Working? Find out whether Wednesday counts as a regular workday for you, and which pay option your employer is using.
Going to a ceremony? Arrive early and dress for the cold.
At 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, wherever you are, take two minutes.
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