What’s open and closed new year’s day in Oshawa, Pickering, Whitby, Ajax and Clarington

New years day fall on a Saturday in 2022 and here is what’s open in in Oshawa, Pickering, Whitby, Ajax and Clarington that day.

With Omicron still sweeping the region and with retailers and their staff perhaps needing a break more than previous years, New Year’s Day looks to be much quieter than in the before times – even more so than last year.

With most New Year’s Eve parties cancelled and capacity limits in place at restaurants and bars, most of us should be relatively bright-eyed if not bushy-tailed for the first day of 2022.

There will be a few places open but not many more than on Christmas Day.

Here’s what open and closed on New Year’s Day in 2022:

OPEN

• Most convenience stores
• Some Shopper’s Drug Mart (best to call ahead to be sure)
• Select Starbucks coffee houses (with reduced hours). Most Tim Horton’s stores will be open, but call ahead for opening hours
• Some restaurants will be open. Chinese food restaurants, in particular, are traditionally open on the Christmas and New Year’s holidays
• At least one brewery – All of Nothing Brewhouse in Oshawa – will be open on January 1 from 11-4
• Some cannabis stores will be open. Call ahead to be sure
• Some ski resorts will be open, including Ski Lakeridge and Dagmar

CLOSED

• Malls, though restaurants with street-facing entrances will be open
• Grocery Stores, banks, most retail
• Government offices and buildings, including community centres and libraries
• Post Offices
• LCBOs, Beer Stores

TRANSIT

GO Trains and buses and DRT Pulse buses will be running on a holiday schedule

WASTE MANAGEMENT

As Christmas Day and New Years Day fall on Saturdays, garbage, blue box and recycling schedules will not be affected

Transfer stations will be closed. The stations, used for large water drop-offs, will be closed for most of the holidays, including December 24-28 and January 1-3