Most parts of British Columbia will change their clocks for the last time on March 8 as the province switches to permanent, year-round daylight saving time.
Premier David Eby announced on Monday that B.C. is ending the twice-yearly ritual of adjusting the clocks. He said the time changes – moving the clocks forward by one hour in spring and back one hour in the fall – are difficult for families and businesses.
In 2019, the provincial government canvassed British Columbians through an online consultation and found that 93 per cent supported ending the time changes that have been in place since 1918. Much of Canada still follows the routine that largely synchronizes with the United States, so the B.C. government decided after the 2019 poll to wait until key trading partners California, Oregon and Washington State agreed to change as well.
This week, Mr. Eby said the provincial government is not prepared to wait any longer and that B.C. will be on Pacific time permanently as of November.
“We are done waiting. British Columbia is going to change our clocks,” Mr. Eby told reporters, adding that he hopes the decision will help nudge U.S. Congress to move forward on adopting a similar change.
Congress has seen several iterations of the Sunshine Protection Act – introduced five times since 2018 – which would establish a permanent daylight saving time in the U.S. It is currently before a Senate committee for further study.
“For now, we’re going to decide what’s best for British Columbians and British Columbia families, and we’re going to stay on permanent daylight savings time,” Mr. Eby said. That means more daylight hours in the evening during the shortest days of the year, giving people more opportunity for leisure and family time.
“So when we spring forward this March, it’s going to be the last time in the province of British Columbia, and here’s to a future where kids and pets get the sleep that they need, and the grown-ups too,” Mr. Eby told reporters and a group of cheery elementary school students who took part in the announcement.
Some business groups denounced the move, however, saying that the Eby government surprised them with the change.
“The unilateral change in time is an unwelcome distraction that will make it more difficult to attract and retain businesses in British Columbia,” said Bridgitte Anderson, president and chief executive of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business warned the change will be disruptive.
“Today’s announcement will be a surprise to small businesses and comes after a rushed and limited consultation process. While some may be relieved not to change the clocks each year, the lack of coordination with other jurisdictions risks causing confusion and disruption,” said Ryan Mitton, CFIB’s director of legislative affairs for B.C. “This appears motivated by an attempt to distract from the province’s $13-billion deficit, not genuine concern for the impacts of the time change.”
The Yukon government made a similar change in 2020, while most of Saskatchewan made the switch in 1966. There are a small number of communities in eastern parts of B.C. that observe some form of Mountain Time instead of Pacific Time. Those regions will not be affected by these changes.