B.C. is officially moving to permanent daylight time and ending clock changes
“Every parent knows that changing clocks twice a year causes a significant amount of chaos on already busy lives,” said Premier David Eby. “British Columbians have been clear that seasonal time changes do not work for them.
“This decision isn’t just about clocks. It’s about making life easier for families, reducing disruptions for businesses and supporting a stable, thriving economy. I am hopeful that our American neighbours will soon join us in ending disruptive time changes.”
According to the Government of B.C., residents and businesses will have eight months to prepare for the transition to take place on Nov. 1, when clocks would usually be moved back.
That date will usher in the beginning of B.C.’s new time zone called Pacific time, which will be set seven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-7).
The Government of B.C. also highlighted other important facets of the adoption of permanent daylight saving time:
- Pacific time will be aligned with the Yukon year-round.
- Pacific time will match Alberta and other regions observing mountain standard time from November until March.
- Pacific time will align with California, Washington, Oregon, and other Pacific daylight time jurisdictions from March until November
Government of B.C.
“We have heard the overwhelming majority of people in B.C. who want to end the back-and-forth of seasonal time changes,” added Niki Sharma, attorney general and deputy premier of B.C.
“This shift offers more stability, supports public well-being and reduces twice-yearly, unnecessary disruptions to the routines of parents, shift workers, small businesses, pet owners, and so many more. I look forward to all of us enjoying an extra hour of sunlight after work and school for many winters to come.”
Regulation will bring the amendments into effect after Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Late B.C. premier John Horgan first announced the idea to end daylight saving time when he was in charge.
Stephanie Frey/Shutterstock
Many B.C. residents responded to a 2019 survey, stating they wanted to switch to daylight saving time year-round.
“In 2019, more than 93 per cent of a record 223,000 British Columbians told us they wanted to remain on year-round daylight-saving time (DST),” the B.C. Ministry of the Attorney General told Daily Hive in 2023. “It is as clear a message as we could hope to receive. British Columbians told us that it’s important to maintain alignment with our neighbours in Washington, Oregon, and California.”
There have been a few updates since then at the provincial level, but nothing concrete until the announcement on Monday, March 2.
Are you in support of this move to a permanent daylight saving time? Were you a fan of the twice-yearly clock changes? Let us know in the comments or get in touch at vancouver@dailyhive.com.