Horologist Sam Francis is used to seasonal time changes. “It’s not really something that we have to do, but it’s sort of culturally something we’re very used to,” he says. It’s something parts of the country are moving away from. As of Nov. 1, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories will no longer turn the clocks back an hour in favour of remaining on daylight time, joining Saskatchewan and Yukon. “I would love it if we just had one same time all year round,” says Jane Britten, a Nova Scotia resident. But Nova Scotia is one of the provinces holding out. Clocks will fall back at 2 a.m. Sunday morning. The change marks a difficult time of year for some. “I see it in my kid,” Britten says. “They are always exhausted for about two weeks, adjusting to the change and it’s just unnecessary.” But, according to expert Patricia Lakin-Thomas, staying on daylight time isn’t the answer. She says adopting standard time would be a better option. “We know that when we’re switching back-and-forth, that’s not really very good for us,” the biological clocks expert says. “People in those places that are now on daylight saving time year-round are not going to see the sun in the winter until 9 a.m. “Mothers are going to be getting their kids out of bed, trying to get them ready for school in total darkness. People are going to be commuting to their jobs in total darkness and then going inside a room with dim room light. Never seeing the sun and maybe seeing the sun and maybe seeing some sun in the afternoon which is going to do the wrong thing and push them later.” The issue is becoming a hot topic in Canada, but Switzerland, a country known for its timing, still change their clocks twice a year. “I think people are used to it, and Switzerland is a very small country, it’s smaller than Nova Scotia so if Switzerland were to change, they cannot change on their own,” says Swiss resident, Hubert Zinck. “They must be aligned with the rest of Europe, with the EU.” The same logic holds true for the parts of Canada that will be “falling-back” Sunday morning. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
