British Columbia to adopt permanent daylight saving time

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Canadian Province of British Columbia will soon adopt a permanent year-round daylight saving time, shifting their clocks forward an hour for the final time.

According to British Columbia's Attorney General, the time change aims to improve people's overall health, simplify schedules, and provide an extra hour of evening light during the winter.

On March 8, 2026, the province will "spring forward" to align with Pacific daylight time jurisdictions including Washington, Oregon and California. Then, from November to March, B.C. will match Alberta’s mountain standard time.

What they're saying:

"Every parent knows that changing clocks twice a year causes a significant amount of chaos on 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."

Pacific time will remain seven hours behind coordinated universal time (UTC-7), matching the current daylight saving offset.

Local perspective:

A 2019 public engagement drew 223,000 participants, with 93% supporting year-round daylight saving time.

The change is enabled by legislation passed in 2019 and will take effect through regulation after March 8, 2026.

Communities in eastern British Columbia that observe mountain time will not be affected.