Work with all levels of government to ensure that National Indigenous Peoples’ Day is recognized as an official and statutory holiday.

Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour to lobby for provincial recognition of NIPD

In November 2025, the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour passed Resolution 49 urging its membership to lobby the provincial government to recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day as a statutory holiday and remove the remaining colonial language from the June holiday.

City of Mount Pearl and Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s rename the June Holiday

The “June Holiday” occurs on the Monday nearest to June 24, a date previously called “Discovery Day”, a name that was intended to commemorate the date on which John Cabot was believed to have “discovered” the island which was already inhabited by Indigenous people including the Beothuk and Mi’kmaq. The provincial government removed the problematic name in 2020 stating, “Until consultations with the Indigenous governments and organizations are concluded, going forward the June 24 holiday will be temporarily recognized as the June Holiday.”

In June 2025, the City of Mount Pearl renamed the “June Holiday” to “National Indigenous Peoples Day (observed)”. In June 2026, the Town Council of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s followed suit, renaming the June Holiday to “National Indigenous Peoples Day”. June 2026 also marked the City of Mount Pearl’s first NIPD Celebration, hosted on June 20th.

For the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

• Pass appropriate legislation in the House of Assembly to replace the June Holiday with National Indigenous Peoples Day. In order to align fully with NIPD, the official statutory holiday would therefore fall on June 21 rather than the Monday nearest June 24.