Victoria Day is a statutory holiday in Canada, and falls on the last Monday before May 25th.
Most people in Canada consider the Victoria Day weekend the real start of summer. It’s often still cold for the first weekend of summer, but chances are good that the weather will be nice enough to be outside, even if you need a spring jacket. Due to agreeable weather and longer days, gardening, camping, patio-lounging, fireworks and other outdoor entertainment are all popular choices over the Victoria Day weekend.
So What’s the “May Two-Four”? Did you know this weekend has another name – one which has very little to do with celebrating royal birthdays? A “two-four” is slang for a case of 24 beers, and since the Victoria Day Weekend often ends up including the date May 24th, well, the “May Two-Four” is that weekend where you have an extra day to drink, or recover. However you want to look at it.
The May long weekend is also the start of the gardening season. In the hopes that the frost is really over, many people break out the gardening tools and gloves for Victoria Day and get dirty. If you’re one of them, check out our local nurseries for gardening workshops, or visit a nursery to get the plants you need (just don’t forget to check their hours, first!). Many 
grocery and department stores also have garden centres open for this weekend.
Victoria Day Fireworks are always something to look forward to. This year you can see fireworks at the Falls at 10 PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Fireworks will also be happening at the Virgil Stampede on Monday at 9:30 PM to wrap up a great weekend event!
How Much Will You Owe?
With the spring home buying season in full swing, aspiring and existing home owners would be wise to research the cost of breaking their mortgage. Depending on the type of mortgage you have, penalties might be zero, three months’ interest, or something known as the interest rate differential amount. See this video that explains the process > > How much will you owe if you break your mortgage?
Carbon Monoxide Alarms Mandatory
Ontario Regulation 194/14 is a regulation to require the installation of a carbon monoxide alarm adjacent to all sleeping areas if your home has a fuel burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage.
The testing and maintenance elements of the regulation came into force on October 15, 2014 while the installation and replacement requirements will have a phased implementation of 6 months (April 15, 2015) or 1 year (October 15, 2015) from the in-force date, depending on the building size.
As of April 15, 2015 you must install a carbon monoxide alarm adjacent to all sleeping areas if your home has a fuel burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage and contains no more than six suites of residential occupancy including single family homes. Click here for more information.