Should Ottawa make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday?

This is, sadly, very true, and the main reason to not make it a stat holiday.

A half day holiday (morning) might be a better idea.

It's already a stat holiday in 8 provinces/territories and the remainder have it as optional.

Making it an official, Canada wide, stat holiday would probably not change much.

I think it should be a stat, as long as they don't plan on turning it into some sort of day of relaxed fun.

I'm surprised they haven't already.

I'd be more into having the day after grey cup made a stat.

Which is why I look forward every ~8 years when Rememberance Day falls on a Friday. Then I don't have to go to work with the 'Austrailian strain of the wine flu'.

No. In the US we call it 'Veteran's Day' and what that means is that most veterans are at work while teachers and other public employees who hate the military get the day off with pay.

We used to have November 11 as a statutory holiday in Ontario but it was changed 20-some years ago. We decided that it was better to have kids in school, getting a planned and organized Remembrance Day program, instead of letting them run the streets for a day off. So, Bart, the reason it's not a stat holiday in Ontario is BECAUSE teachers care about Remembrance Day and model that reverence for our military history and the sacrifices of our veterans. But slag on...

November 11th should be a stat holiday simply because it remembers the veterans that made Canada the country that it is. It should be a holiday that everything closes, not just another shopping holiday. If it were not for those who went to war for everything that Canada is, we would not have the things that we have.

i agree with those who say making it a stat turns it into 'just another day off'.

Everything closed for the 11th hour definitely, all day... I think thats a little much.

Everything closed for the 11th hour definitely, all day... I think thats a little much.
This reminds me of something...

Several years ago I was watching the evening news on Remembrance Day and a reporter was asking people on a street what this day meant to them. Many of course gave the typical response of gratitude to those who fought for our freedoms. One teen girl replied that it meant the day off school so she could go shopping. Pissed me right off. I remember making a comment about it to a co-worker that hearing that made me think that if that's what it meant to some then maybe stores should be closed. They pointed out that having that freedom was what so many fought for... which is a good point.

If you close the liquor stores on Remembrance day you will have A LOT of pissed off soldiers.

The Remembrance Holiday already works quiet well. The days long poppy campaign, the veterans appearing on the street, and the media attention to the meaning of the day. I find the idea awesome already and most do.