What's open and closed in Halifax on Remembrance Day 2026
Most major businesses, government services, and shopping centres in the Halifax area will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11, for Remembrance Day. Public transit will run on a holiday schedule with free rides for veterans and military personnel, while smaller grocers and private liquor retailers will maintain limited hours.
On Remembrance Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, most major businesses and municipal services across the Halifax area will be closed to observe the holiday.
Major grocery stores, including Atlantic Superstore, Sobeys, Walmart, and Costco, will not open. However, smaller grocers such as Gateway Meat Market, Kingswood Market, and Arthur’s Urban Market will remain open. Most pharmacies and drugstores will also operate on Wednesday.
All NSLC stores will be closed. Private liquor retailers and craft beverage producers — including Harvest Wines & Spirits, RockHead Wine and Beer Market, and WestSide Beer Wine Spirits — will be open from noon until 8 p.m. Major retailers and shopping centres, including Halifax Shopping Centre and Mic Mac Mall, will be closed.
Public transit will run on a holiday schedule. Buses and the Alderney ferry will operate, but the Woodside ferry will not. Veterans, military personnel, and their accompanying family members can ride buses for free if they are in uniform or show military ID. At 11 a.m., bus drivers will pull over to observe three minutes of silence. On-street paid parking will be free throughout the day.
There will be no municipal solid waste collection on Wednesday. Scheduled pickups will instead occur on Saturday, Nov. 14. The Otter Lake Waste Management Facility and Materials Recovery Facility will be closed on Wednesday. The Household Special Waste Depot will be closed on Saturday, Nov. 14, but will be open on Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All branches of Halifax Public Libraries will be closed. Canada Post will suspend mail collection and delivery, and post offices will not open. Most municipally operated recreation facilities in Halifax Regional Municipality will be closed. The 311 contact centre will be closed for full service, though urgent calls can still be reported.
Remembrance Day parades will take place in Halifax, downtown Dartmouth, Spryfield, Cole Harbour, and Lower Sackville.