Time in Canada

Canada is divided into six time zones and ranks third among countries with respect to number of time zones, after Russia (eleven) and the United States (nine).

Times used (* indicates use of daylight saving time):

Zones

Pacific Standard Time

*Pacific Standard Time PST UTC−8 and Pacific Daylight Time PDT UTC−7
** British Columbia (most of province)*,
** Northwest Territories*, (rest of territory is on Mountain Standard Time)
*** Tungsten, Northwest Territories and the associated Cantung Mine (no DST)
** Yukon* (Yukon Standard Time is no longer used)

Mountain Standard Time

*Mountain Standard Time MST UTC−7
** Alberta*,
** British Columbia
*** northeastern ("no" DST)
****Most of Peace River Regional District (except Fort Ware), Beatton River, Pink Mountain, Sikanni Chief, Buckinghorse River, Prophet River and Trutch
*** southeastern*
****Regional District of East Kootenay,
****Regional District of Central Kootenay east of the Kootenay River and parts east of Kootenay Lake that are south of and including Riondel (Creston "doesn't" observe DST), and
****Columbia-Shuswap Regional District east of the Selkirk Mountains,
** Northwest Territories*, except for Tungsten, Northwest Territories and the associated Cantung Mine (no DST)
** Nunavut*
*** west of 102° West, and
*** all communities in the Kitikmeot Region,
** Saskatchewan mostly observes central time, but:
*** Lloydminster and surrounding area* (the municipal government chose to unify the entire city with Alberta's time zone)

Central Standard Time

*Central Standard Time CST UTC−6
** Manitoba*,
** Nunavut
*** between 85° West and 102° West (except western Southampton Island)* (Resolute, Repulse Bay, Baker Lake, west shore of Hudson Bay),
** Ontario*
*** Northwestern Ontario west of 90° West (except Atikokan area, New Osnaburgh and Pickle Lake area, and Shebandowan and Upsala area), and Big Trout Lake area east of 90° West,
** Saskatchewan
*** Time in Saskatchewan is a bit tricky. Most of Saskatchewan observes Central Standard Time without daylight saving.
*** Creighton and Denare Beach area observes DST unofficially.Fact|date=January 2008 The Lloydminster area observes mountain time with DST, officially.

Eastern Standard Time

*Eastern Standard Time EST UTC−5, EDT UTC−4
** Nunavut
*** east of 85° West* (Sanikiluaq, Cape Dorset, Hall Beach, Igloolik, Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord and all points east), and
*** entire Southampton Island ("no" DST) (Coral Harbour),
** Ontario
*** east of 90° West (except Big Trout Lake area)*, plus
*** Atikokan area ("no" DST),
*** New Osnaburgh and Pickle Lake area ("no" DST), and
*** Shebandowan and Upsala area* west of 90° West,
*** GTA ; Ottawa.
** Quebec (most of province)*

Atlantic Standard Time

*Atlantic Standard Time AST UTC−4, ADT UTC−3
** Labrador (all but southeastern tip)*,
** New Brunswick*,
** Nova Scotia*,
** Prince Edward Island*,
** Quebec (east of the Natashquan River) (NAO)
** Quebec (east of the 63°W longitude) (CIA)

Newfoundland Standard Time

*Newfoundland Standard Time NST , daylight saving time
** Labrador (southeastern)*,
** Newfoundland*

Daylight saving time

Daylight saving time is observed in most provinces, and has since the late 1960s 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 Canadian provinces followed suit to mimic the change.

The latest United States change (Energy Policy Act of 2005), adding parts of March and November.

* 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 [ [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:0Xe9EWjrFc4J:www.nnsl.com/nunavutnews/iqheds.html+%22Nunavut+to+follow+new+seasonal+time+standard%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ca Nunavut News/North "Nunavut to follow new seasonal time standard" (unofficial, cached version)] ]
* "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."

TZ zones

#America/St_Johns Newfoundland Island
#America/Halifax Atlantic Time - Nova Scotia (most places), W Labrador, E Quebec & PEI
#America/Glace_Bay Atlantic Time - Nova Scotia - places that did not observe DST 1966-1971
#America/Moncton Atlantic Time - New Brunswick
#America/Goose_Bay Atlantic Time - E Labrador
#America/Montreal Eastern Time - Quebec - most locations
#America/Toronto Eastern Time - Ontario - most locations
#America/Nipigon Eastern Time - Ontario & Quebec - places that did not observe DST 1967-1973
#America/Thunder_Bay Eastern Time - Thunder Bay, Ontario
#America/Pangnirtung Eastern Time - Pangnirtung, Nunavut
#America/Iqaluit Eastern Time - east Nunavut
#America/Coral_Harbour Eastern Standard Time - Southampton Island
#America/Rankin_Inlet Central Time - central Nunavut
#America/Winnipeg Central Time - Manitoba & west Ontario
#America/Rainy_River Central Time - Rainy River & Fort Frances, Ontario
#America/Cambridge_Bay Central Time - west Nunavut
#America/Regina Central Standard Time - Saskatchewan - most locations
#America/Swift_Current Central Standard Time - Saskatchewan - midwest
#America/Edmonton Mountain Time - Alberta, east British Columbia & west Saskatchewan
#America/Yellowknife Mountain Time - central Northwest Territories
#America/Inuvik Mountain Time - west Northwest Territories
#America/Dawson_Creek Mountain Standard Time - Dawson Creek & Fort Saint John, British Columbia
#America/Vancouver Pacific Time - west British Columbia
#America/Whitehorse Pacific Time - south Yukon
#America/Dawson Pacific Time - north Yukon

ee also

*List of time zones
* Newfoundland's Daylight Saving Act of 1917
* British Columbia time referendum, 1972

External links

*http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/Magazine/SO98/geomap.asp
* [http://www.municipal.gov.sk.ca/publications/pdf%5Cpolicy%5Ctimesys.pdf Saskatchewan time system] (156KB pdf file)
* [http://inms-ienm.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/faq_time_e.html#6 Canadian time zone maps]
* [http://time5.nrc.ca/webclock_e.shtml Official Times across Canada]

Official references regarding 2007 daylight changes
*http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2006AG0014-000330.htm
*http://www.justice.gov.ab.ca/law/default.aspx?id=4318
*http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2005/11/2005-11-02-06.html ( [http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/2005/c05305e.php#2 appoval] , [http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/o030e.php new time act] )
*http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/20051020-dst.asp
*http://www.assnat.qc.ca/eng/37legislature2/Projets-loi/Publics/06-a002.htm
*http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/news/pre/2005e1737pr.htm
*http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20060425004
*http://assembly.pe.ca/bills/pdf_chapter/62/3/chapter-41.pdf
*http://www.gov.yk.ca/news/2006/files/06-164.pdf
*http://www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/bills/Bill0634.htmQuasi-Official references
*(Northwest Territories) http://www.psepc.gc.ca/dob/dob06-137-en.asp

References