What’s open and closed New Year’s Day Oshawa, Pickering, Ajax and Clarington

As 2026 approaches, it’s time to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new! Whether you’re planning to celebrate or keep it simple, here’s a look at what’s open and closed in Durham Region on January 1, 2026.

New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday in 2026, and there will be a few places open but not many more than on Christmas Day.

OPEN

• Most convenience stores
• Some Shopper’s Drug Mart locations (best to call ahead to be sure)
• Select Starbucks coffee houses (with reduced hours). Most Tim Horton’s stores will be open, but call ahead for opening hours
• Some restaurants will be open. Chinese food restaurants, in particular, are traditionally open on the Christmas and New Year’s holidays
• Most breweries will be closed on Jan. 1
• Some cannabis stores will be open. Call ahead to be sure
• Some ski resorts will be open, including Ski Lakeridge and Dagmar
• Movie theatres will be open
• Most tourist attractions will be open on New Year’s Day

CLOSED

• Malls, though restaurants with street-facing entrances might be open (call ahead to be sure)
• Most major grocery stores
• Banks
• Government offices and buildings, including town and city halls
• Community centres
• Libraries
• Canada Post (no mail pick-up or delivery)
• LCBOs
• Beer Stores

TRANSIT

DRT Pulse buses will be running on a weekend schedule
GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule

WASTE MANAGEMENT

As New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday, garbage, blue box and recycling schedules will be pushed ahead one day.

Regional transfer stations in Oshawa, Port Perry, Cannington and Bowmanville will be closed. The stations, used for large drop-offs, will be closed for most of the holidays, including December 25-29 and January 1.