Zoom will help families stay connected this holiday season by lifting the 40-minute meeting limit on free accounts.


As per Manitoba’s Code Red Restrictions: A person who resides in a private residence must not permit a person who does not reside in that residence to enter the property or residence. There are some exceptions for those who live alone and for childcare, healthcare, property maintenance and emergencies.

This means that family gatherings are strictly prohibited during the holidays.


In normal circumstances, a Zoom meeting with three or more people is limited to 40-minutes on a free account. However, for the upcoming holidays, Zoom is lifting that limit. Zoom meetings will be unlimited during the following times:

  • 9:00am Thursday, December 17th, to 5:00am Saturday, December 19th, for the end of Hanukkah
  • 9:00am Wednesday, December 23rd, to 5:00am Saturday, December 26th, for Christmas Eve and Christmas
  • 9:00am Wednesday, December 30th, to 5:00am on Saturday, January 2nd, for New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and the end of Kwanzaa

Stay safe Winnipeg. There will be many more holidays to come. Though we won’t be able to physically be together this year, technology has given us the next best thing via video calls.