Quebec moves to scrap time change; Alberta already made the switch
Alberta ended seasonal clock changes earlier this year, settling on permanent daylight time along with British Columbia and Manitoba.
Why it matters
Alberta already made the switch to permanent daylight time this year, so other provinces following suit could further reduce cross-border scheduling differences.
Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced Wednesday that his government intends to abolish the twice-yearly time change, though it has not yet decided whether to lock in daylight time or standard time year-round. He said Quebecers will likely turn their clocks back for the last time this coming weekend, with a parliamentary commission and expert hearings to follow before a final decision.
St-Pierre Plamondon cited studies showing the time change is counterproductive to health and difficult for children, and said the goal is to end what he called an unnecessary annual disruption for families.
The move would put Quebec in line with Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba, all of which ended the time change this year and chose to stay on daylight time permanently. The Northwest Territories has also gone permanent daylight time, while parts of northwestern Ontario plan to do the same to align with Manitoba. Saskatchewan has not changed its clocks since 1966, and Yukon ended the practice in 2020.
A recent analysis in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reviewed multiple studies and concluded that health evidence actually favours permanent standard time over daylight time, since it better matches natural body rhythms — a factor cited as Quebec weighs its options.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.