In Canada
2026, the year the West stopped changing its clocks.
British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba: all chose daylight time, after Yukon and Saskatchewan. Northwestern Ontario follows Manitoba. The rest of Ontario already has its daylight time law: its government stresses the importance of coordinating with Québec and New York.
Saskatchewan is not on standard time, even though you often read that it is. Its law says “Central Standard Time”, but the province lies in the Mountain time zone: Regina and Saskatoon are near the 105th meridian. Keeping Central time all year is therefore permanent daylight time for it. The sun is highest around 1 PM, as in Québec in summer12.
- Permanent daylight time
- Fixed time since 1966 (a daylight time*)
- Law passed, pending
- Québec is deciding
- Still changes the clocks
What time is it elsewhere?
When it’s noon in Montréal…
Choose Québec’s time, the season and what our neighbours will do. Cities on the same time as us light up.
- Vancouver 12:00 PM Same time
- Edmonton 12:00 PM Same time
- Regina 12:00 PM Same time
- Winnipeg 12:00 PM Same time
- Toronto and Ottawa 12:00 PM Same time
- Montréal 12:00 PM Same time
- New York 12:00 PM Same time
- Halifax 12:00 PM Same time
Gatineau and Ottawa: how many months out of step each year?
Ottawa and Gatineau are two shores of the same metropolitan area. Here is the number of months they would not share the same time.
Québec chooses daylight time
≈ 4 months (November to March) as long as Ontario changes its clocks. 0 if Ontario activates its law.
Québec chooses standard time
≈ 8 months (March to November) as long as Ontario changes its clocks. 12 months if Ontario activates its law.
Approximate months: the clocks change on the 2nd Sunday in March and the 1st Sunday in November.3
Timeline
How we got here
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1966
Saskatchewan fixes its time
It stays on UTC−6 all year, one hour “ahead” of the sun for most of the province. Sixty years later, it still is. 2
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March 2020
Yukon stops changing the clocks
After a public consultation, the territory stays on UTC−7 all year. 4
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November 30, 2020
Ontario passes its law
The law provides for daylight time all year, coming into force by proclamation. The government stresses the importance of coordinating with Québec and New York State. 3
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Fall 2024
Québec consults
Over 214,000 responses. 91% want to end the time change; of those, 72% want to keep daylight time. 5
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March 8, 2026
British Columbia springs forward… for the last time
The province now stays on daylight time all year. 6
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April–May 2026
Alberta follows
Announced on April 20, law assented to on May 14: “Alberta Time”, on daylight time all year. 7
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July 14, 2026
Washington moves
The U.S. House of Representatives passes permanent daylight time, 308 votes to 117. The Senate has not yet voted. 8
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September 17, 2026
Manitoba chooses daylight time
Provincial survey: 58% for daylight time, 34% for standard time. 9
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September 23, 2026
The Northwest Territories too
UTC−6 all year, on Alberta time. Their 2022 consultation showed strong support for daylight time. 10
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October 13, 2026
Northwestern Ontario follows Manitoba
Ontario announces permanent daylight time for Kenora and the Central time zone regions, as of November 1, 2026. The rest of the province still changes the clocks. 11
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October 28, 2026
Québec announces the end of the time change
A bill will be tabled. The choice between standard time and daylight time will be made after quick consultations. 12
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November 1, 2026
The West no longer falls back. Québec still does.
From British Columbia to Manitoba, the provinces did not turn their clocks back. In Québec, sunset suddenly dropped before 4:45 PM — and it will keep sliding to around 4 PM in December. 7
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March 14, 2027
Next time change in Québec
If Québec chooses daylight time, it would be the last time change. 12
What about Nunavik? In Nunavik, Makivvik aims to end the time change from November 2027, after consulting the population.13
What about the United States?
Washington has voted. The Senate is hesitating.
On July 14, 2026, the House of Representatives passed permanent daylight time for the whole country, by 308 votes to 1178. The Senate has not yet voted, and the bill faces opposition there: American clocks therefore fell back on November 1, 2026, like ours.
If Congress follows through, New York would move to daylight time all year. With daylight time, Québec would then be on New York, Toronto and Boston time twelve months a year. With standard time, it would be one hour behind all its major partners… all year.
Your turn
Québec is deciding now.
MNAs will vote. Two minutes is all it takes to tell them you want to keep daylight saving time all year.