Reactions mixed as B.C. to end time changes, adopt year-round daylight time

Most British Columbians will change their clocks for the last time this Sunday.

B.C. is permanently adopting daylight time, making its "spring forward" on March 8 the last time change, Premier David Eby announced Monday.

"We are done waiting. British Columbia is going to change our clocks just one more time — and then never again," Eby said.

• INTERACTIVE: CBC tool shows how eliminating time changes impacts sunrise & sunset times

He said changing the clocks causes "all types of problems," from children and their parents losing sleep, to dogs getting up at the wrong time, to more car accidents.

Residents will have eight months to prepare for Nov. 1, 2026, when the clocks would have been turned back one hour, but will now remain the same.

B.C.'s new time zone will be called "Pacific Time," according to the province.

The whole province will now observe this time zone, with the exception of B.C.'s East Kootenay which observes Mountain Time in alignment with Alberta.

B.C.'s Peace Region and the Kootenay town of Creston have never changed clocks for daylight time.

B.C. passed legislation to make this change possible in 2019, but without a firm timeline. Previously, Eby said he would wait for B.C.'s American neighbours — including Washington state, Oregon and California — to do the same.

While U.S. President Donald Trump expressed interest in eliminating daylight time shortly after his 2024 election, Congress has not passed the necessary legislation.

Eby noted the Yukon has already made the change to permanent daylight time and added he hopes American neighbours will follow suit.

The CBC reached out to Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson, but did not hear back immediately.

'Somebody had to move first'

UBC business professor Werner Antweiler said that while he was surprised by B.C.'s decision to make this change without waiting for nearby states, he sees benefits in eliminating time changes.

Time changes, particularly switching clocks an hour forward in the spring, has been found to be harmful, as it imposes "jet lag on the entire population," he said.

"Somebody had to move first — it might as well be B.C. — and then see how it plays out," Antweiler said.

"The question is now, who will follow?"

WATCH | B.C. to permanently adopt daylight time:

A public engagement report in 2019 for the B.C. government found that 93 per cent of respondents preferred year-round daylight time.

However, 54 per cent of those who responded said it was important for B.C. to have aligning policies on daylight time with other jurisdictions.

Of those who wanted year-round daylight time, three-quarters said it was due to health and wellness concerns.

Business leaders, YVR airport concerned with lack of time change

Bridgitte Anderson, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, expressed concern about B.C.'s decision to move forward alone in this decision.

"The unilateral change in time is an unwelcome distraction that will make it more difficult to attract and retain businesses in British Columbia," she said in a statement.

"The choice to change the time unliterally will create an additional headache for businesses operating on both sides of the border."

The Vancouver Airport Authority was among groups in 2019 that pushed for B.C. to align with other jurisdictions on the Pacific coast, to avoid unnecessary confusion for travellers.

A spokesperson for the Vancouver Airport Authority said in response to the announced change that alignment is "fundamental" for airline operations and efficient scheduling.

"We will work with industry to better understand the potential schedule and passenger implications of moving to permanent daylight saving time without neighbouring jurisdictions also following suit," the statement said.

Canadian Federation Of Independent Business' B.C. director of legislative affairs Ryan Mitton said that while some may be relieved not to reset the clocks each year, it may also cause "confusion and disruption."

"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," he said in a statement.