Throughout Canada, the first Monday in August is generally a holiday though it is known by different names in different areas.

A holiday in the middle of summer in Toronto dates back to 1869.

This day was created in 1875 when the first Monday in August became the August Civic Holiday.

The intent of the Civic Holiday is to "not work".

In Canada Civic Holiday is in most cases the first Monday of August unless another civil or provincial holiday exists on a different date, in which case the local holiday is used.

Civic Holiday in Canada is not statutory holiday. A bill has been attempted to be passed in the house of commons but it has always been unsuccessful.

If an employer wants you to work, then it is a work day.

What you will often find, however, is that its name Civic Holiday changes from province to province, and even amongst different regions within provinces in Canada:

This tells us that Civic Holiday is not as important as some other holidays, but still it is celebrated as a statutory Canadian holiday.

In some provinces, Civic day is replaced by a different regional holiday celebrated on a different date:

Discovery Day (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Discovery Day is a provincial holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador. It replaces the Civic Holiday observed on the first Monday of August in other areas of Canada. It is celebrated on the Monday nearest June 24th, commemorating the discovery of the province in 1497 by John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto). Since 1997, it has also been known as Cabot 500 Day – the 500th anniversary of the discovery.

Discovery Day (Yukon)

Provincial holiday celebrated on the Monday nearest August 17th (the 3rd Monday in August) in the Yukon. It is also known as Klondike Gold Discovery Day. It replaces the Civic Holiday observed on the first Monday of August in other areas of Canada.

George Washington Carmack discovered gold at Bonanza Creek, Yukon, on August 17, 1896. This discovery triggered the famous 'gold rush'. Yukon’s Territorial Council declared Discovery Day as a public holiday in 1911.