Daylight saving time in Canada

Daylight saving time (DST) is now observed in all Canadian provinces, except Saskatchewan. Under the Canadian Constitution, laws related to timekeeping are a purely provincial matter.

History

Four Canadian cities, by local ordinance, used Daylight Saving Time in 1916. Brandon, Manitoba on April 17 became the first place in the world to use it. It was followed by Winnipeg on April 23, Halifax on April 30, and Hamilton, Ontario on June 4.^[1]

In practice, since the late 1960s DST across Canada has been closely or completely synchronized with its observance in the United States to promote consistent economic and social interaction. When the United States extended DST in 1987 to the first Sunday in April, all DST-observing Canadian provinces followed suit to mimic the change.

The latest United States change (Energy Policy Act of 2005), adding parts of March and November starting in 2007, was adopted by the various provinces and territories on the following dates:

• Ontario, Manitoba - October 20, 2005
• Quebec - December 5, 2005
• Prince Edward Island - December 6, 2005
• New Brunswick - December 23, 2005
• Alberta - February 2, 2006
• Northwest Territories - March 4, 2006
• British Columbia - March 31, 2006
• Nova Scotia - April 25, 2006
• Yukon - July 14, 2006
• Newfoundland - November 20, 2006, but officially announced on January 18, 2007
• Nunavut - February 19, 2007^[2]
• Saskatchewan - no official action taken, as most of the province does not change their clocks back in winter, but the small parts that have historically observed DST near Alberta and Manitoba are presumed to be authorized to have the start and end dates the same as Alberta and Manitoba.^{[citation needed]}

By province or territory

British Columbia

Most of British Columbia (BC) is on Pacific Time and observes DST. However there are two main exceptions:

Part of the Peace River Regional District of BC (including the communities of Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Hudson's Hope, Fort St. John, Taylor and Tumbler Ridge) is on Mountain Time and does not observe DST. This means that the region would be on the same time as Mountain Time in the winter, and Pacific Time in the summer.

The East Kootenay region of south-eastern BC (including the communities of Cranbrook, Fernie, Golden and Invermere) is on Mountain Time and observes DST. This means that the region is always on the same time as Edmonton, Alberta. One exception in this region is Creston, which observes MST year round. Time in Creston is therefore the same as Edmonton in the winter, and Vancouver in the summer.

Nunavut

While the rest of Nunavut observes DST, Southampton Island including Coral Harbour remain on Eastern Standard Time throughout the year.

Ontario

Most of Ontario uses DST. Pickle Lake, New Osnaburgh, and Atikokan, three communities located within the Central Time Zone in Northwestern Ontario, all observe Daylight saving time all year long. (This has the effect of having them on Central Time during the summer tourist season, and Eastern Time during the winter—without ever changing their clocks.)

Quebec

Most of Quebec observes DST. However, the eastern reaches of Quebec's North Shore, east of 63° west longitude, are in the Atlantic Time Zone, but do not observe DST (see exception, below). The effect is that in summer their clocks match those of the rest of the province, while in November, their clocks are rejoined by their Atlantic Standard Time neighbours. Although places east of 63° west are officially on Atlantic Time, local custom is to use Eastern Time as far east as the Natashquan River. Those communities observe DST, including all of Anticosti Island, which is bisected by the 63rd meridian.

Saskatchewan

Although the entire province is geographically within the MST (UTC-7) zone, the province is officially part of the Central time zone (UTC-6) but does not observe Daylight Saving Time. This time zone designation was implemented in 1966, when the Saskatchewan Time Act was passed in order to standardize time province-wide.

The charter of the city of Lloydminster, which is bisected by the Saskatchewan–Alberta boundary, gives it a special exemption. Lloydminster and the immediately surrounding region in Saskatchewan observe the same time as Alberta: Mountain Standard Time with officially sanctioned seasonal daylight saving.^[3] Along the Manitoba border, the small, remote Saskatchewan towns of Denare Beach and Creighton unofficially observe DST in the central time zone, thereby keeping the same time as larger neighboring Manitoba communities.

References

1. ^ Doris Chase Doane, Time Changes in Canada and Mexico, 2nd edition, 1972
2. ^ Nunavut News/North "Nunavut to follow new seasonal time standard" (unofficial, cached version)
3. ^ (which in the summer, puts it in sync with the rest of Saskatchewan). Time System in Saskatchewan

See also

• Time in Canada
• Daylight saving time by country