Alberta to consider clock changes after B.C. moves to permanent daylight time
Posted Mar 2, 2026 4:08 pm.
Last Updated Mar 3, 2026 8:01 am.
Alberta’s premier says the province will consider whether to scrap twice‑a‑year clock changes after neighbouring British Columbia announced it will shift to permanent daylight saving time.
Premier Danielle Smith said Monday that B.C.’s decision, combined with Saskatchewan’s long‑standing use of permanent standard time, has renewed questions about whether Alberta should follow suit.
“Our government will take these recent developments under consideration and evaluate whether a similar change would be in the best interest of Albertans,” Smith said in a statement. “With B.C. announcing this change today, both our neighbours to the west and east will no longer have a time change.
“This raises the question of whether Alberta should also move to end the time change to create consistency across the western provinces.”
B.C. Premier David Eby announced Monday that the province will move to year‑round daylight time, advancing clocks for the final time this Sunday. On Nov. 1, 2026, the date British Columbians would normally “fall back,” clocks will stay put.
The change will align B.C. with the Yukon, which already observes permanent daylight time, and will match Alberta’s time from November through March. B.C. has been shifting its clocks since 1918.
Eby said the move is intended to improve public health and safety, arguing that eliminating the fall time change will help people avoid sleep disruption and reduce the risk of car crashes.
Alberta has debated the issue before. In 2021, a provincial referendum on adopting permanent daylight time failed, with 50.2 per cent voting to keep the biannual clock change.
