Winter may still be lingering but it’s almost time to set those clocks forward one hour, marking the beginning of daylight saving time (DST) for 2026.
Daylight saving time will begin this year on March 8, at 2 a.m. local time as the clock springs forward to 3 a.m. local time. While we might lose an hour of sleep by “springing forward,” it also marks the day when evenings grow brighter, mornings feel a little earlier, and everyone is reminded that spring is on the way.
Canadians in most time zones should set their manual devices ahead an hour on March 7 before heading to bed. Smartphones, smartwatches and other digital and wifi-enabled devices will likely automatically adjust while you’re sleeping, but it doesn’t hurt to check them when you wake up on March 8.
What is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time is the eight-month-long period between March and November when the majority of the country adjusts its clocks.
By “springing forward” in March, we allow for more daylight in the spring and summer months. By “falling back” in November, we allow more daylight in the mornings.
Not all Canadians adhere to daylight saving time, however. Yukon, most of Saskatchewan and some parts of Quebec, Ontario and B.C. stay on standard time all year round.
Michael Antle, a psychology professor at the University of Calgary, previously told Global News that during wartime in the early 1900s, DST was also used to save energy. By shifting work schedules, employers wouldn’t have to turn on incandescent lights until workers were almost finished with their shifts.
“The idea was one, to give us a little bit more leisure time in the evenings when we have really long days in the summers,” he said.
That’s not needed anymore with various energy-saving lightbulbs and with fewer needs around having an extra hour in the evening, Antle said, while more studies are showing the negative impacts of DST.
“You’ve caused your body clock, your circadian clock, to get out of sync with the day-night cycle and your work schedule, and you’re forcing people to get up and go to bed, go to work and go to school an hour earlier than they’re used to.”
Are there health risks due to daylight saving time?
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The benefits of changing our clocks twice per year are controversial, and some argue the shift can have measurable impacts on health.
Sleep researchers in the U.K. have called for the abolishment of DST due to the impact it has on the human body. A study published in the Journal of Sleep Research last October found that the beginning of DST each March “can interfere negatively with sleep regulation.”
Roger Godbout, a clinical psychologist with the Sleep Laboratory at Riviere-des-Prairies Mental Health Hospital in Montreal, told Global News people lose close to an hour of sleep during daylight saving time. He said this is due to being exposed to light later in the day, creating a stimulant effect that can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
He said making the period when the clocks fall back permanent, giving us more light in the morning, would be more beneficial for health and sleep.
“It’s the morning light that is the most important for our equilibrium, mentally and physically,” Godbout said.
Other studies have also shown negative impacts from the yearly switch, including cardiovascular issues.
A 2019 report published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine analyzed seven studies that included more than 100,000 participants. It found that there was an increased risk of heart attack in the weeks following the spring and fall DST transitions.
A 2016 nationwide study in Finland — published in the Sleep Medicine journal — showed that stroke-related hospitalizations increased during the first two days after the switch.
Is daylight saving time ending?
Daylight saving time was first proposed in 1895 by New Zealand entomologist George Hudson. He proposed the change because it would allow him more daylight hours to find and inspect insects.
Not everyone welcomes the clock change, and over the years, people have been calling to cancel daylight saving time altogether.
Liberal MP Marie-France Lalonde is leading the charge to stop the biannual time switch with a private member’s bill and is calling for Canada to adopt a single, permanent time by opting out of daylight saving time.
“My [bill] will seek to ask the federal government to hold a pan-Canadian conference alongside their provincial and territorial counterparts, as well as our Indigenous partners, to formalize an agreement to end this practice and establish one set time in Canada,” Lalonde told Parliament on Oct. 1.
Lalonde noted that the decision doesn’t rest solely with the federal government.
“Time regulation is a provincial and territorial jurisdiction, but what we can do, and we must do, is bring all jurisdictions to the table. A united front is the only way to ensure meaningful, nationwide change. I believe Canada can be a leader on this matter and set the precedent to allow others to follow our lead,” she added.
The changing of clocks has been a topic of debate in Canada for many years, with politicians in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario wanting to scrap the century-old practice.
Ontario previously tabled and unanimously passed a private member’s bill called the Time Amendment Act in 2020. It was waiting for New York and Quebec to get on board, as the areas share trade.
The B.C. legislature passed similar legislation in 2019, but the process has been delayed as American states in the same time zone wait for California to pull the trigger.
B.C. Premier David Eby said in March he’d be open to moving ahead with ending the time change independently as provinces grow more economically self-reliant.
“My usual response to this is that our biggest trading partner and group of people that we want to stay in sync with has not yet changed their clocks,” Eby said.
“But yeah, it’s open to the new world that we’re in that we stand on our own two feet as a province in relation to everything, including time zones,” he said with a chuckle, before adding, “I’ll ponder that one.”
Alberta had a referendum on the idea in 2021, and just over half of those who voted wanted to keep daylight saving time.
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— With files from Global News’ Sean Previl
