Time Change Debate: Should We Put an End to Daylight Saving Time?
In British Columbia, the effort to make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent has not been fully successful as of 2021. Despite a push and public consultation for adopting permanent DST, the change requires approval from the federal government and coordination with other provinces, which had not been finalized by that year.
The journey began in 2019 when Premier John Horgan introduced enabling legislation to make DST permanent in the province, contingent on similar actions by neighboring jurisdictions such as California and Alberta, as well as federal approval. However, as of 2021, these conditions have yet to be met, and the province continues to observe the regular DST changes.
Tens of thousands of British Columbians have supported the move to end daylight-savings time, and the province is hoping that other provinces will follow its lead. The act of adjusting clocks either forward or backward in November and March is called Daylight Savings Time (DST). British Columbians currently adjust their clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring and backward in the autumn to standard time.
The goal of DST is to make better use of daylight by prolonging the amount of time spent outside during the day. The world's first DST period began in Port Arthur, Ontario, on July 1, 1908 (today's Thunder Bay). In Canada, DST is usually observed on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. The expression "Spring ahead, Fall behind" is used in Canada to remember what to do twice a year regarding DST.
The push to scrap DST in Canada has been ongoing, with British Columbia petitioning to end daylight-savings time as early as 2015. However, the changes will not come into effect until after Sunday. DST is an ongoing topic of discussion, with a push to scrap it in Canada. Some view it as an unavoidable inconvenience in life.
As the debate continues, British Columbians will once again adjust their clocks this weekend, marking another year of the ongoing effort to make DST permanent.
