Halifax Winnipeg Adjust Thanksgiving Services For Oct 12 Holiday

Halifax and Winnipeg residents are preparing for Thanksgiving Day closures and altered services on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, as municipalities, retailers and public facilities adjust holiday schedules. Grocery access, transit, waste collection, recreation and attractions will follow different operating plans across both cities, according to local notices.

In Halifax, major grocery stores, shopping centres, libraries and most municipal recreation facilities will close on Thanksgiving Monday, while some smaller retailers, pharmacies and attractions may operate, according to SaltWire and Haligonia.ca.

Nova Scotia rules require large retailers to close on designated retail closing days, and Haligonia.ca reported that grocery stores with more than 4,000 square feet of sales area must shut on the holiday.

Halifax Transit buses and the Alderney ferry will run on holiday schedules, with the Alderney ferry operating every half hour from 7:30 a.m. and its final trip leaving the Halifax Ferry Terminal at 11:45 p.m., according to city information cited by local outlets.

Halifax waste collection scheduled for Monday will move to Saturday, Oct. 10, while Otter Lake and recycling facilities will have holiday changes, according to SaltWire. Libraries and the 311 contact centre will also have reduced or closed services.

Winnipeg will keep several services operating on Thanksgiving Monday, with recycling and garbage collection continuing normally, according to Winnipeg Free Press and ChrisD.ca. Civic offices, libraries and most indoor recreation facilities will be closed.

Winnipeg Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule, while selected recreation facilities will open with limited hours. The Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex, Pan Am Pool and Margaret Grant Pool are among facilities listed as operating.

Retail and entertainment schedules will vary in Winnipeg. Shopping centres including CF Polo Park, Garden City Shopping Centre, Kildonan Place, Outlet Collection Winnipeg and St. Vital Centre will open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to local reports.

Assiniboine Park Zoo will open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature its rescued polar bear cub from Churchill, with the public invited to help choose a name from a shortlist.

Laura Cabak, senior director of marketing and communications for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, addressed the cub's connection to its origin community.

"As this young bear continues to settle into his new home, it’s important to honour and celebrate his connection to Churchill," said Laura Cabak, senior director of marketing and communications for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy.

The shortlist of names includes Duke, Marly, Fletcher and Mantayo, reflecting links to Churchill and the Duke of Marlborough School, according to ChrisD.ca.