Holiday hours & signs

How it works

1. 1 Pick the days your sign covers. The next holiday most shops close for is already picked.
2. 2 Say whether you're closed, open different hours or open as usual each day, in English, French or both.
3. 3 Print the sign for your door, and copy the same hours to Google so Maps and Search say what your door says.

Free, with no account. Nothing you type is saved.

Good to know

Do I have to close?

Ontario's Retail Business Holidays Act closes most stores on nine days: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. When Canada Day is a Sunday, the Monday is the day instead. Toronto is exempt, other towns can allow stores to open by by-law, and some kinds of business may open anyway. These are marked “Most stores close”. Check Ontario's page on retail business holidays for your town and your kind of business. This is a guide, not legal advice.

What about my staff?

Ontario has nine public holidays: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most employees get public holiday pay for them, whether or not you open. These are marked “Public holiday”. The Employment Standards Act guide has the details.

How do I change my hours on Google?

Open your Business Profile on Google, choose Edit profile, then Hours, then Special hours, and add each day. The tool lists them for you. Special hours cover up to 6 days in a row; to close for a week or longer, Google asks you to mark the business temporarily closed instead. Add the days even when you're open as usual, so customers can see the hours are confirmed.

How should I print it?

On US Letter paper, at 100% or “Actual size”, not “Fit to page”. Choose a full page for the door, or two half signs on one sheet for the door and the till. Tape it inside the glass, facing out, at eye level, and put it up a few days early so regulars see it before the day.

Can I print it in English and French?

Yes. Choose “Both” and every line is printed in both languages, English first. You can rewrite the headline and the message in each.