If you're a long time Albertan, you're getting your 30th stat holiday in February.  

Family Day is an Alberta made holiday that started when then Alberta Premier Don Getty introduced the Family Day Act in the Alberta Legislature in 1989.

It was Getty's view that Albertans needed time off to spend with their families and a holiday would emphasize the importance of family values.  The date of the third Monday in February was picked to coincide with Washington's birthday to make sure there was no disruption in trade with the United States.

At first, a lot of Albertans questioned Mr. Getty's sanity in declaring a holiday in February.  Many felt a more appropriate time for a stat holiday would be in the summer, not in one of the coldest months of the year.  Employers hated the idea because an additional stat holiday would make for an unnecessary financial burden.  In response to that, Heritage Day received a downgrade to a civic holiday which meant employers didn't have to observe it if they chose not to.  

Some Getty critics suspected that the creation of Family Day in February was linked to the arrest and conviction of one of his sons on drug-related charges, an accusation that Getty denied over the years.

On February 19th, 1990, the very first Family Day was observed in Alberta.  Despite its rocky beginnings, the holiday has become popular and has been picked up by other provinces, although it took a while for them to do so.

Saskatchewan first celebrated Family Day in 2007, Ontario in 2008, British Columbia in 2013 and New Brunswick in 2018.  Other provinces have a day off in February, but call it something different like Louis Riel Day in Manitoba and Islander Day in P.E.I.

Today (February 17) the 30th anniversary of Family Day is being celebrated at the Alberta Legislature, where it all started.  The Honourable Nathan Cooper, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills said the celebration will run from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm and include history, crafts, games, magic shows, music, and more for all who attend.