Most Western Canadians Say Ending Time Change Was ‘Right Move,’ Survey Finds

Most Canadians in the Western provinces that stopped changing their clocks twice a year say it was the right decision, even though the change brought some challenges, a new survey indicates.

British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba joined Saskatchewan this year in abandoning the practice of changing clocks twice a year. Saskatchewan adopted permanent Central Standard Time in 1966.

A Nov. 12 survey report by the Angus Reid Institute found that 55 percent of respondents in B.C., 59 percent in Manitoba, and 46 percent in Alberta considered ending the twice-yearly clock changes “the right move.”

However, the survey found that most respondents in the three provinces faced “challenges or annoyances” from not turning back their clocks, including 59 percent of B.C. residents, 65 percent of Albertans, and 64 percent of Manitobans.

Among respondents who experienced challenges, 42 percent said their devices failed to adjust properly, 27 percent encountered problems with calendars and meeting times, and 28 percent struggled with darker mornings.

Another 16 percent said the change affected their sleep and mood, 10 percent expressed safety concerns about children walking to school in the dark, and 18 percent felt “out of sync” with other provinces or the United States.

Angus Reid said that only 14 percent of respondents preferred the clock-changing system of “springing forward, falling back.” The data also showed that 48 percent would choose permanent daylight-saving time and 32 percent would choose permanent standard time.

The survey company said more people in B.C., Alberta, and Manitoba expressed support for the new system than disapproval, with a majority in B.C. and Manitoba giving it a “thumbs up,” while Albertans were “more split.”

In particular, 32 percent of Albertans said they disliked keeping their clocks unchanged, compared with 17 percent of B.C. residents and 14 percent of Manitobans.

The survey also found that public preferences have shifted since March, particularly in Alberta and B.C., even though more respondents in all three provinces supported ending the twice-yearly clock changes than opposed the decision.

In Alberta, support for permanent daylight-saving time fell from 47 percent in March to 33 percent in November, while support in B.C. declined from 55 percent to 45 percent. Manitoba remained unchanged at 52 percent.

Meanwhile, 41 percent of Albertans said they would prefer permanent standard time, making it the most popular individual option in that province.

Angus Reid said it surveyed 1,634 Canadian adults online, with results weighted to reflect the Canadian population by region, gender, age, household income, and education. The institute said a probability sample of that size would have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Quebec announced on Oct. 28 that it planned to eliminate seasonal time changes, with the November time change likely marking the last occasion Quebecers adjust their clocks backward by an hour.