The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has a strong commitment to human rights, equity and inclusion. We recognize, respect, and celebrate the diversity of staff, students, and families across our District. Throughout the year, there are a number of significant dates that provide valuable opportunities to learn more about the religious occasions, cultural celebrations, and additional awareness days that are recognized by families and staff members within the OCDSB community.
Please note, the list below is not meant to be exhaustive and may be updated as dates are changed or confirmed. For additional dates recognized in Canada and internationally, please refer to the dates of significance on the Federal Government, Province of Ontario, and the United Nations websites.
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Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
September |
Province of Ontario |
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September |
Indigenous Communities |
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September |
Canada |
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September 2 |
Labour Day |
Canada |
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September 7 |
Ontario |
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September 8 |
International |
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September 8 |
Canada |
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September 9 |
International |
|
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September 10 |
International |
|
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September 11 |
9/11 Memorial Day and National Day of Service |
Canada |
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September 13-22 |
Canada |
|
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September 15 |
International |
|
|
September 17 |
Mid-Autumn Festival |
Asian Communities |
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September 19 |
Powley Day |
Indigenous Communities |
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September 21 |
International |
|
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September 17 |
Canada |
|
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September 23 |
International |
|
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September 23-27 |
National Truth and Reconciliation Week |
Indigenous Communities |
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September 23-29 |
International |
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September 25 |
Ontario |
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September 25 |
Ontario |
|
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September 29 |
Canada |
|
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September 30 |
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day) |
Indigenous Communities |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
October |
Canada |
|
|
October |
Canada |
|
|
October |
Dyslexia Awareness Month |
Canada |
|
October |
German Heritage Month |
Canada |
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October |
Province of Ontario |
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October |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
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|
October |
International |
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October |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
October |
Province of Ontario |
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October |
Province of Ontario |
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|
October |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
October |
National Principals' Month |
Canada |
|
October |
Occupational Therapy Month |
Canada |
|
TBD |
Canada |
|
|
TBD |
National School Safety Week |
Canada |
|
October |
Canada |
|
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October 1 |
Canada |
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October 2 |
Canada |
|
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October 2 |
Custodial & Facilities Staff Appreciation Day |
Canada |
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October 4 |
Canada |
|
|
October 5 |
World Teachers Day |
International |
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October 6 |
International |
|
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October 7 |
International |
|
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October 6-12 |
Fire Prevention Week |
Canada |
|
October 10 |
International |
|
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October 11 |
International |
|
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October 11 |
National Coming Out Day |
International |
|
October 14 |
Thanksgiving |
Canada |
|
October 16 |
International |
|
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October 16 |
International |
|
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October 17 |
||
| October 17 | Canada | |
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October 17-22 |
Canada |
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October 18 |
Library Workers Day |
Canada |
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October 21-25 |
National School Bus Safety Week |
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October 21-25 |
Canada |
|
| October 21-25 | Ontario | |
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October 21-26 |
Canada | |
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October 22 |
Canada |
|
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October 23 |
School Bus Driver Appreciation Day |
Canada |
|
October 23 |
Canada |
|
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October 24 |
Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Appreciation Day |
Canada |
|
October 25 |
Canada |
|
| October 27 | Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Appreciation Day | International |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
November |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
November |
Canada |
|
|
November |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
| November | Holocaust Education Month | Canada |
|
November |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
November |
Canada |
|
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November 3-9 |
Province of Ontario |
|
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November 3 |
Daylight Savings Ends |
Canada |
|
November 1-9 |
Holocaust Education Week |
Province of Ontario |
|
November 7 |
International Inuit Day |
International |
|
November 8 |
National Indigenous Veterans Day |
Canada |
|
November 5-11 |
Canada |
|
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November 11 |
Canada |
|
|
November 11-15 |
National School Psychology Week | Canada |
|
November 17-23 |
Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week |
Province of Ontario |
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November 14 |
International |
|
|
November 15 |
Educational Assistant Appreciation Day | OCDSB |
|
November 16 |
Louis Riel Day |
Canada |
|
November 19 |
World Day for Prevention of Abuse and Violence against Children |
International |
|
November 20 |
Ontario |
|
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November 20 |
National Child Day | Canada |
|
November 20-26 |
Canada |
|
|
November 25 - December 10 |
International |
|
|
November 25 |
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women |
International |
|
November 28 |
International |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
December 1 |
Nunatsiavut Day |
Canada |
|
December 1 |
International |
|
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December 2 |
International |
|
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December 3 |
International |
|
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December 5 |
International |
|
|
December 6 |
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women |
Canada |
|
TBD |
International |
|
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December 10 |
International |
|
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December 18 |
International |
|
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December 20 |
Persian Holiday |
|
|
December 21 |
First Day of Winter |
International, Indigenous Communities |
|
December 26 |
Boxing Day |
Public Holiday |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
January |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
January 1 |
New Year's Day |
International |
|
January 4 |
Indigenous Communities |
|
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January 4 |
International |
|
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January 15 |
Canada |
|
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January 20 |
International |
|
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January 21 |
Canada |
|
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January 24 |
International |
|
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January 24 |
International |
|
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January 27 |
International |
|
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January 27 |
Canada |
|
|
January 29 |
National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia |
Canada |
|
January 29 |
Lunar New Year – Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean New Year |
Buddhism / Confucianism / Daoism |
|
Varying Dates |
Return of the Sun |
Inuit Communities |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
February |
International |
|
|
February |
Ontario |
|
|
February |
Canada |
|
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February 1 |
International |
|
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February 1-7 |
Canada |
|
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February 1-7 |
International |
|
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February 11 |
International |
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February 14 |
Indigenous Communities, Canada |
|
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February 15 |
Canada |
|
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February 17 |
International |
|
|
February 17 |
Family Day |
Canada |
|
February 20 |
International |
|
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February 21 |
International |
|
|
February 25 |
OCDSB, Education Foundation of Ottawa |
|
|
February 26 |
International |
|
|
TBD |
International |
|
|
TBD |
Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week |
International |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
March |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
March |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
March |
Canada |
|
|
March |
Nutrition Month |
Canada |
|
March |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
March 1 |
International |
|
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March 3 |
Ottawa |
|
|
March 6 |
World Book Day |
International |
|
March 8 |
International |
|
|
March 9 |
Daylight Savings Time Begins |
International |
|
March 11 |
National Day of Observance for COVID-19 |
Canada |
|
March 15 |
International |
|
|
March 17 |
St. Patrick’s Day |
International |
|
March 20 |
Journée internationale de la francophonie - International Francophonie Day |
International |
|
March 20 |
First Day of Spring |
International |
|
March 20 |
World Behavior Analysis Day |
International |
|
March 20 |
World Behavior Analysis Day
|
International |
|
March 21 |
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination |
International |
|
March 21 |
International |
|
|
March 21 - 27 |
Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination |
International |
|
March 22 |
International |
|
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March 22 |
International |
|
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March 25 |
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade |
International |
|
March 26 |
Purple Day (Epilepsy Awareness) |
International |
|
March 31 |
International |
|
|
March 31 |
Indigenous Languages Day |
International |
|
Date TBD |
National Social Work Week |
Canada |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
April |
Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month |
International |
|
April |
Earth Month |
International |
|
April |
Poetry Month |
International |
|
April |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
April 2 |
International |
|
|
April 7 |
International |
|
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April 7 |
International |
|
|
April 9 |
Vimy Ridge Day |
Canada |
|
April 9 |
International |
|
|
April 21 |
World Creativity and Innovation Day |
International |
|
April 22 |
International |
|
|
April 24 |
International Girls in ICT (Information & Communication Technologies) Day |
International |
|
April 23 |
Canada |
|
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April 23-24 |
Canada |
|
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April 24-30 |
International |
|
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April 27-May 3 |
Canada |
|
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April 28 |
Canada |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
May |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
May |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
May |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
May |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
May |
National Sun Awareness Month |
Canada |
|
May |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
May |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
May |
Speech and Hearing Month |
Canada |
|
May-June |
Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams |
Indigenous Communities, Canada |
|
May 1 |
Canada |
|
|
May 5 |
National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People (Red Dress Day) |
Canada |
|
May 5-12 |
Canada |
|
|
May 10 |
Indigenous Communities, Canada |
|
|
May 10 |
Canada |
|
|
May 11 |
Mother’s Day |
North America |
|
May 15 |
International |
|
|
May 15 |
Indigenous Communities |
|
|
May 16 |
World Education Support Personnel Day |
International |
|
May 17 |
International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia |
International |
|
May 18 |
Speech-Language Pathologist Day |
Canada |
|
May 19 |
Victoria Day |
Canada |
|
May 20 |
Human Resources Day |
International |
|
May 21 |
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development |
International |
|
May 25-May 31 |
Canada |
|
|
May 28 |
Canada |
|
|
TBD |
Paramedic Services Week |
Province of Ontario |
|
TBD |
Police Week |
Ottawa |
|
Date |
Name |
Recognized By |
|
June |
Brain Injury Awareness Month |
Canada |
|
June |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
May/June |
Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams |
Indigenous Communities, Canada |
|
June |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
June |
National Indigenous History Month |
Indigenous Communities, Canada |
|
June |
Canada, Province of Ontario |
|
|
June |
International |
|
|
June |
Seniors Month |
Province of Ontario |
|
June 1 |
International |
|
|
June 5 |
International |
|
|
June 2-6 |
Canada |
|
|
June 15 |
Father’s Day |
North America |
|
June 20 |
International |
|
|
June 21 |
National Indigenous Peoples Day |
Indigenous Communities, Canada |
|
June 23 |
Canada |
|
|
June 24 |
Quebec, Canada |
|
|
June 25-July 1 |
Province of Ontario |
|
|
June 27 |
Canada |
|
|
June 27 |
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day |
International |
|
TBD |
Canada Environment Week |
Canada |
|
TBD |
Our Dreams Matter Too |
Indigenous Communities, Canada |