OPEN and CLOSED: Canada Day 2025 in Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Clarington, Pickering

This year, Canada Day in Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington and Durham Region falls on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.

Here’s what’s open and closed:

What’s open on Canada Day:

• Pickering Town Centre will be closed, but its stand-alone restaurants (with patios), such as Moxies, Jack Astor’s, Pickle Barrel and East Side Mario’s, will be open
• Oshawa Centre stores will also be closed, but restaurants with street-facing entrances (and patios), such as Baxter’s Landing, Kelsey’s and The Keg, will be open
• Most Beer Stores will be closed, but four stores will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Ajax 75 Kingston Rd E
  • Oshawa 200 Ritson Rd N
  • Pickering 1355 Kingston Road
  • Whitby 3950 Brock St. N
• Wine Rack in the Independent Grocery outlet at 1893 Scugog Street in Port Perry will  be open. The Independent Grocery store will also be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Shopper’s Drug Mart stores will be open. Most other drugstores will also be open
• Most restaurants that operate on holidays will be open, especially those that offer patio dining, but call ahead to be sure
• Pickering Casino, Ajax Casino and Great Blue Heron in Scugog)
• Most cannabis dispensaries
• Many craft beer breweries will be open, including Town Brewery in Whitby and Old Flame in Port Perry. Some might have reduced hours; call to confirm your brewery of choice is open
• Lakeview Park Beach in Oshawa will be open (lifeguards will be on duty), as will most other public beaches
• Camp Samac outdoor pool in Oshawa will be open as well as Ajax Memorial outdoor pool and Orono Park pool.
• Parks and most splash pads will be open
• Some recreation complexes, such as Delpark Homes Centre in Oshawa and Diane Hamre Recreation Complex in Newcastle will be open with modified hours.

What’s closed on Canada Day

• LCBO outlets
• Canada Post
• Walmart stores
• Most grocery stores will be closed
• Mid-Town Mall in Oshawa and Whitby Mall will be closed

Transit and municipal/regional services

• GO Trains, DRT and Pulse buses will be running on a holiday/weekend schedule
• Waste collection and recycling will be on a delayed holiday schedule with garbage, blue box and green bin pickup moved ahead one day
• Municipal offices will be closed

Fireworks

There will be sanctioned fireworks displays at Oshawa (Lakeview Park); Ajax Downs; Pickering (Kinsmen Park); Port Perry (Palmer Park), Whitby (Victoria Fields), Uxbridge (Elgin Park) and Bowmanville (Garnett Rickard Recreation Complex).

Residents can purchase fireworks for private celebrations in each municipality. Canada Day is one of few days when permits are not required.