As 2023 is coming to an end, it’s time to step into New Year’s Day, marking the beginning of 2024.
January 1, 2024, is also the first Monday of 2024.
This is a public holiday in Ontario, so most people will have the day off, and many places across the province will be closed.
However, there are still plenty of places open with various activities for you, including shopping at malls, visiting museums, or going ice skating.
Here are the places that are open/closed and the activities you can do on New Year’s Day in Ontario.
Grocery Stores in Ontario Closed on January 1
Costco, Walmart, Metro, Food Basics, Longo’s, and most Loblaws locations, except for a few stores at:
- 363 Rideau St., Ottawa
- 12 Hurontario St., Collingwood
- 400 Kent St. W., Lindsay
- 200 Bullock Dr., Markham
- 301 High Tech Rd., Richmond Hill
- 60 Carlton St., Toronto
All Rabba locations in the Greater Toronto Area are open 24/7, including New Year’s Day.
Liquor Stores
Only Wine Rack locations in the Toronto area will be open on New Year’s Day, and some other liquor stores in Ontario will be open on January 1, 2024.
Transportation Services
- TTC: Sunday service will be in operation on New Year’s Day. This means TTC routes will run on a Sunday schedule even though January 1 is a Monday. Additionally, subway services will commence around 8 am on New Year’s Day and run every 4-5 minutes.
- GO Transit: GO Transit will follow a Saturday schedule for New Year’s Day. Therefore, trains will run on a Saturday schedule for each route.
However, some GO Transit routes do not have weekend service, so check the specific schedule for route-specific weekend service information.
Shopping Malls and Centers
Open on January 1: Toronto Eaton Centre (from 12 pm to 7 pm); Square One in Mississauga (from 11 am to 6 pm); Toronto Premium Outlets (from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm).
Services Closed: Canada Post, Banks, Service Canada, and ServiceOntario. Some ServiceOntario services are available online, so you can still perform tasks like renewing driver’s licenses, renewing vehicle license plates, renewing health cards, etc.
Fun Activities on New Year’s Day
- ROM: This museum in Toronto is open on New Year’s Day from 10 am to 5:30 pm.
- Canada’s Wonderland: Attend the WinterFest event at Canada’s Wonderland from 3 pm to 9 pm on January 1, 2024.
- National Art Gallery of Canada: The art gallery in Ottawa is open from 12 pm to 5 pm.
- Distillery District: Restaurants, cafes, and retailers in Toronto’s Distillery District are open from 12 pm to 5 pm on New Year’s Day. The seasonal cabins of Distillery Winter Village are closed.
- Journey Behind The Falls: This Niagara Falls attraction is open from 9 am to 8 pm.
- Cineplex: Cineplex theaters are open on New Year’s Day.
- Skating Rink at Nathan Phillips Square: You can ice skate at Nathan Phillips Square from 10 am to 10 pm on January 1, 2024. The rink is open for recreational skating without prior reservations.
- Art Gallery of Ontario: The Ontario Art Gallery is open from 10:30 am to 4 pm.
- CN Tower: Visit the CN Tower from 10 am to 8 pm on New Year’s Day. ▸Rouge National Urban Park: This Toronto national park is open 365 days a year.
