Nova Scotians will get an extra statutory holiday if they elect a Liberal government, says party leader Stephen McNeil.
The Liberals are promising to make the third Monday in February a holiday.
The party has tried three times to get a private member's bill passed in the legislature. None of those bill survived.
But McNeil said a long weekend in February makes sense.
"This will be a day for Nova Scotians to celebrate time spent with friends and family, and to enjoy living in Nova Scotia. This day off is in recognition that we all need help building that healthy balance between work and family," he said Friday while campaigning for the June 9 provincial election.
McNeil said he has spoken with small-business owners about this extra holiday time and no one has told him it would be a major issue for them.
Five provinces have a February long weekend.
Alberta introduced Family Day in 1990. Saskatchewan followed in 2007, followed by Ontario and Prince Edward Island last year. Manitoba's provincial holiday is called Louis Riel Day.
In Ontario, some businesses have grumbled about the cost of a mid-winter break. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business estimates the province's holiday costs $2 billion in lost productivity.
