Alberta to Study Time Zone Change
By Anne Buckle. Published 6-Apr-2017
A legislative committee in Alberta, Canada is set to study the effects of a permanent time zone change.
Hockey schedule threatens DST bill.
©iStockphoto.com/ronniechua
In February, Thomas Dang, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Alberta, proposed to remove the semi-annual switch of Daylight Saving Time (DST) and move the province to Central Standard Time (CST) permanently.
Interferes with Hockey Schedule
However, concerns about the start time of hockey games have been raised by the National Hockey League (NHL), and Dang has been in discussions with officials from hockey teams as well as restaurant and bar owners to see how the change would affect their business.
A legislative committee has received the bill for more discussion, and they are set to report back to the provincial legislature in October.
82% of Albertans Want to End DST
The bill was proposed after Dang posted a survey asking Albertans “Is it time to do away with Daylight Saving Time?” When the online survey closed, almost 26,000 people had responded with 82% saying that they wanted to get rid of DST, reports CBC News.
It is highly likely that Albertans will have to set their clocks back at least 1 more time in fall, but Dang is positive that the bill will pass: “I’m fairly confident we can do this and get this right,” he told Metro Toronto.
Time in Alberta
Today, Alberta observes Mountain Standard Time (MST) with a UTC offset of -7 during the winter months. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), with a UTC offset of -6, is used during DST.
DST in Canada
Canada follows the same DST schedule as the United States, starting on the 2nd Sunday in March and ending on the 1st Sunday in November.
Areas that don't use DST include Saskatchewan, some locations in Québec east of 63° westerly longitude (e.g. Blanc-Sablon), Southampton Island, and some areas in western British Columbia.