VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The date for BC’s new statutory holiday is set.

Starting next year, Premier Christy Clark says Family Day will take place on the second Monday in February. This new holiday means we now have 10 stats per year.

Clark hopes local attractions like ski hills and the aquarium will see a boost in local visitors since it won’t be the same Family Day as other provinces.

“It’s not true that it’s just the quality of time that you spend with your family, it’s actually the quantity that matters too,” she says.

She’s also encouraging BC’s ski industry to offer special lower prices for British Columbians on Family Day.

“Having a day that’s unique to us will allow British Columbians to tourist attractions, say for example a ski hill, at a local’s only price, we hope,” she explains. “That’ll be a day when our tourist attractions are way less busy, there won’t be line-ups, there won’t be the crush of people, and hopefully there will be some better deals.”

Industry leaders say they’re working on it.

The BC Business Council is predicting a bit of a burden, especially for smaller businesses. Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Jock Finlayson says it all comes down to wages.

“Whether the business is open or not open, people are being paid effectively for not working. If they do have to work on a stat holiday they will be paid a substantial overtime premium,” he explain. “Either way, it raises the costs of maintaining people on payroll.”

Finlayson adds businesses should come up with a plan for this.

“They should incorporate it into their overall assessment whether they are going to be open or not. Obviously most businesses will not be open but there is a chunk of the retail market that will be open.”

Family Day already falls on the third Monday in February in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Finlayson feels it would be smart for BC to have the holiday on the same day.

“Business do adapt to these things, it is not something that is going to throw the economy into any difficulty, but just at the margin by raising any labour costs, it does present a slight discouragement.”

More than 30,000 people submitted their choices for the day in February they’d like to see the holiday fall on.