Canadians once again moved their clocks forward by an hour early Sunday as daylight saving time officially began at 2 a.m. across most of the country. While some people see the seasonal shift as a sign of longer, brighter days ahead, many others view the twice-yearly clock change as an inconvenience that disrupts daily routines.
In provinces that follow the practice, clocks “sprang forward” by one hour overnight. For most people the change happens automatically on mobile phones and digital devices, provided the device is set to a region that observes daylight saving time.
However, not every part of Canada participates in the seasonal adjustment. Saskatchewan and Yukon continue to remain on permanent standard time, meaning residents there do not need to change their clocks twice a year.
Experts say the shift can have more serious effects than simply losing an hour of sleep. Patricia Lakin-Thomas, a biology professor at York University, notes that the transition to daylight saving time has been linked in some studies to temporary increases in car accidents, heart attacks and strokes as people’s body clocks struggle to adjust.
The concept of daylight saving time in Canada dates back more than a century. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the federal government first introduced the measure in 1918 during the First World War in an effort to increase productivity by extending daylight hours.
In recent years, the future of the practice has become the subject of growing debate across the country. British Columbia Premier David Eby recently announced that the province plans to stay on daylight time permanently. If implemented, the change would mean British Columbia would no longer turn clocks back in November.
Meanwhile, Alberta is also considering whether to eliminate the biannual time change. Premier Danielle Smith said her government plans to consult residents on the issue. A similar proposal was previously put to voters in a provincial referendum nearly five years ago, asking whether Alberta should adopt daylight saving time year-round. The measure failed by a narrow margin.
Smith believes the wording of that question may have caused confusion among voters. She suggested that if people were simply asked whether they want to stop changing their clocks twice a year, the proposal might receive far stronger public support.
Other regions have taken a cautious approach. In 2020, Ontario passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent in the province, but only if neighbouring Quebec and the U.S. state of New York adopt the same system. The law has not yet taken effect.
Atlantic Canada has also been monitoring developments. In 2022, premiers in the region agreed to delay any decision on ending the clock changes until they see how nearby jurisdictions handle the issue.
For now, Canadians in most provinces will continue the long-standing tradition of adjusting their clocks twice each year even as the debate over whether the practice still makes sense continues to grow.
