British Columbia says it is adopting permanent year-round daylight saving time to improve people’s overall health, reduce disruptions for families, simplify scheduling and provide an extra hour of evening light during the winter months.
“Every parent knows that changing clocks twice a year causes a significant amount of chaos in already busy lives. British Columbians have been clear that seasonal time changes do not work for them,” said Premier David Eby. “This decision isn’t just about clocks. It’s about making life easier for families, reducing disruptions for businesses and supporting a stable, thriving economy. I am hopeful that our American neighbours will soon join us in ending disruptive time changes.”
B.C.’s transition to one year-round time zone will begin after the province “springs forward” on Sunday, March 8, 2026, when clocks move ahead by one hour.
This will be the final time change in British Columbia. People and businesses will have eight months to prepare for Nov. 1, 2026, when clocks would usually be turned back, but now will remain the same. At that point, the transition to Pacific time, the name of B.C.’s new time zone, will be complete.
Pacific time will be set seven hours behind coordinated universal time (UTC-7), matching the current offset used during daylight saving time.
“We have heard the overwhelming majority of people in B.C. who want to end the back-and-forth of seasonal time changes,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “This shift offers more stability, supports public well-being and reduces twice-yearly, unnecessary disruptions to the routines of parents, shift workers, small businesses, pet owners and so many more. I look forward to all of us enjoying an extra hour of sunlight after work and school for many winters to come.”
