B.C. still waiting on U.S. for permanent daylight time
Four years after British Columbians voiced overwhelming support for scrapping seasonal time changes, the path to permanent daylight time in B.C. remains littered with roadblocks.
It was March 2019 when then premier John Horgan first floated the idea to his U.S. counterparts of ending the practice of moving clocks ahead by an hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall.
Horgan wrote to the governors of Washington, Oregon and California to gauge their interest in a unified permanent daylight time on the West Coast. The premier of Yukon was also on board if B.C. decided to make the move.
With the tacit support of B.C.'s neighbours secured, the provincial government surveyed residents on the matter, yielding 93 per cent support for ending the seasonal time changes.
"The people of British Columbia have spoken and their collective voice has come through loudly and clearly," Horgan said in the fall of 2019.
"When we spring forward next year in 2020, that will be the last time we do it."
U.S. SUPPORT FOR PERMANENT DAYLIGHT TIME
Five months later, the premier reaffirmed his support for implementing year-round daylight time, but said the ultimate authority on the decision was with the U.S. Congress.
"The likelihood of a Congressional approval of this is even less today than it was in the fall," Horgan said.
And that's where things largely remain today as British Columbians prepare to once again move their clocks ahead this Sunday.
Last week, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida reintroduced his Sunshine Protection Act, legislation that would end seasonal time changes, after a previous version passed the Senate in March 2022 but failed to make it to a vote in the House of Representatives.
"This ritual of changing time twice a year is stupid," Rubio said in a statement announcing the bill's reintroduction on Thursday. "Locking the clock has overwhelming bipartisan and popular support. This Congress, I hope that we can finally get this done."
B.C. REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENDING TIME CHANGES
A spokesperson for the B.C. Ministry of the Attorney General tells CTV News the province remains committed to permanent daylight time, saying British Columbians have provided "as clear a message as we could hope to receive" on the issue.
"British Columbians told us that it’s important to maintain alignment with our neighbours in Washington, Oregon, and California," the ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
"The province is committed to ensuring B.C.’s economy and businesses aren’t negatively impacted by a permanent shift to daylight saving time. That's why the move to permanent DST is planned to be brought into effect at a time that maintains alignment with our neighbours."
The statement said the province is closely watching the return of the Sunshine Protection Act in the U.S.
"We continue to watch how things play out in the U.S. so we can make this change together to keep us in the same time zone as our neighbours," the ministry said.
Speaking to reporters in Victoria on Wednesday, B.C. Premier David Eby affirmed his government's commitment to ending the seasonal time changes.
"I think all of us will be delighted to see the backend of daylight savings time," Eby said from his office at the B.C. legislature.
"There were business concerns about us being on a different time zone from our major trading partner to the south, which is our sole reason for pause here – to make sure we don’t have unintended economic impacts," he added. "Otherwise, we're very much looking forward to getting rid of daylight savings time."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Norway, Ireland and Spain say they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move
Norway, Ireland and Spain said on Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state, in a historic but largely symbolic move that deepens Israel’s isolation more than seven months into its grinding war against Hamas in Gaza.
Thunderstorms with tornado risk in some areas in Ontario, snow elsewhere in Canada
Canadians can expect a mixed bag of weather, with forecasts warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow in some areas across western Canada.
NEW How to remove ticks and what to know about these bloodsuckers
Ticks are parasitic bloodsuckers, capable of spreading deadly disease, and they’re becoming increasingly common. Here’s what you need to know about them.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Canadians feel grocery inflation getting worse, two in five boycotting Loblaw: poll
Almost two-thirds of Canadians feel that inflation at the grocery store is getting worse, a new poll suggests, even as food inflation has been steadily cooling.
opinion Joe Biden uses bully pulpit to bully Donald Trump on debates
Donald Trump had spent weeks needling U.S. President Joe Biden for his refusal to commit to a debate. But Washington political columnist Eric Ham describes how in one fell swoop, Biden ingeniously stole the issue from the Trump campaign and made it his own.
Barbie will make dolls to honour Venus Williams, Christine Sinclair and other athletes
Barbie dolls will honour Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair and tennis champion Venus Williams, plus seven other athletes as part of a project announced by Mattel on Wednesday.
Ontario mother loses $2,500 to text scammer pretending to be daughter
An Ontario mother lost $2,500 to a scammer pretending to be her daughter asking for help in late April.
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From artificial intelligence running wild to collapsing ecosystems, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the near future.