B.C. mulls quitting time change
Coordination with western states sought
VICTORIA • British Columbia is pushing ahead with a plan to eliminate seasonal time changes, but when it would happen remains a matter of timing.
Attorney General David Eby said legislation will be introduced Thursday that would allow B.C. to stop moving between daylight and standard time every spring and fall.
But before any changes are made, Eby said the government wants to ensure B.C. stays on the same time as its trading partners in the western U.S. states of Washington, Oregon and California.
“There are a number of different issues, and one of the issues raised in the consultation is ensuring we’re on a consistent time zone down the west coast of the United States,” he said. “It’s a huge market for us. We’re an export-dependent economy and so that’s definitely a consideration.”
The next time change is on Sunday, when clocks fall back one hour when the province shifts to standard time.
Premier John Horgan recently discussed the possibility of abandoning the time change with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and other U.S. politicians.
ONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED ... IS ENSURING WE’RE ON A CONSISTENT TIME ZONE DOWN THE WEST COAST.
Legislators in California, Oregon and Washington have proposed bills to end the change and observe daylight time year-round. Those states require federal approval before they can act.
Eby said the government has also heard from families who say it’s a struggle getting youngsters adjusted to the spring time change when clocks move ahead one hour.
“I understand all of these issues and they’ll be considered in the legislation,” he said.
A recent B.C. government survey found more than 93 per cent of respondents, or almost 225,000 people, indicated their support for a permanent move to daylight time.
The survey said three-quarters of those who wanted to stay with one time identified health and wellness concerns for their support, but the same health reasons were cited by the minority who favoured falling back and springing forward.
With the exception of students, support for yearround daylight time was higher than 90 per cent in all regions of B.C. and across all industry and occupational groups.