Some Nova Scotians divided on how to commemorate Queen’s funeral

In the Halifax Public Gardens, near where Queen Elizabeth II visited as princess and her father King George VI planted an oak tree, Simonne Allaway reflects on the Queen’s life and death.

“I really feel that the holiday was necessary,” Allaway said.

The tour guide will be working Monday as others observe or attend the Queen’s funeral.

But Allaway has plans to explain the significance of the day with tourists, and pause.

“I will just bow my head with respect,” she said.

Governments in the Atlantic region have made Monday a holiday but only in Prince Edward Island has declared the day a one-time statutory holiday. Besides teachers, daycare workers and various public-sector workers who’ve been given the day off, most Maritimers will be working.

Judy Haiven, an activist, writer and former Saint Mary’s University professor, calls the holiday punishing.

“I’m not saying we should have a holiday for a deceased Monarch, but if there’s going to be a Canada-wide holiday it should be a holiday, not a holiday for some,” she said.

Haiven points out how Nova Scotia has six paid holidays a year and expressed concern over how on Monday, not all workers will be guaranteed paid time-off. Closing schools and daycares adds another challenge for parents.

“Their children have to be cared for that day and they have to pay for that care,” Haiven said.

Others called the holiday divisive and think the holiday shouldn’t happen at all.

Derrick Kimball, a lawyer and former Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative MLA, said it’s possible to pay respects to the Queen but also work.

“With so much to do in this province and so many challenges to address, we should be burning the midnight oil. Our government should be working over time,” said Kimball.

To explain the decision to hold a holiday, Nova Scotia’s Lt.-Gov private secretary Christopher McCreery points to history.

“I think this decision was just taken to fall in line with previous historical precedent,” McCreery said. “It rolled out a little bit differently than it had in the past where normally the federal government would just announce it shortly after the death of the sovereign as was the case in 1952.”

On Monday afternoon, a few hundred people will file into the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Halifax for a memorial service.