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Time Change 2023 in Canada

Next change:
Nov
3
1 hour Back

Nov 3, 2024, 2:00 am

Country: Canada
Abbreviations: CA, CAN
Capital: Ottawa
Time Zones: 6
Dial Code: +1

Mar 12

Forward 1 hour

Mar 12, 2023 - Daylight Saving Time Started

When local standard time was about to reach
Sunday, March 12, 2023, 2:00:00 am clocks were turned forward 1 hour to
Sunday, March 12, 2023, 3:00:00 am local daylight time instead.

Sunrise and sunset were about 1 hour later on Mar 12, 2023 than the day before. There was more light in the evening and less light in the morning.

Also called Spring Forward, Summer Time, and Daylight Savings Time.

More info:
Spring DST: The Ultimate Monday?
US Senate Approves Permanent DST Bill
DST Start 2023: US and Canada

Nov 5

Back 1 hour

Nov 5, 2023 - Daylight Saving Time Ended

When local daylight time was about to reach
Sunday, November 5, 2023, 2:00:00 am clocks were turned backward 1 hour to
Sunday, November 5, 2023, 1:00:00 am local standard time instead.

Sunrise and sunset were about 1 hour earlier on Nov 5, 2023 than the day before. There was more light in the morning and less light in the evening.

Also called Fall Back and Winter Time.

More info:
US Senate Approves Permanent DST Bill
DST Ends in USA & Canada 2023: Still No Law for Permanent DST

Other years: 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026

When Does DST Start and End in Canada?

Daylight Saving Time (DST) in Canada starts on the 2nd Sunday in March and ends on the 1st Sunday in November.

Which Provinces and Territories use Daylight Saving Time in 2023

Areas in Canada using DST in 2023
Areas in Canada on standard time all of 2023

Which Provinces and Territories in Canada don't use DST?

Yukon, most of Saskatchewan, some locations in Québec east of 63° westerly longitude (e.g. Blanc-Sablon), Southampton Island, and some areas in British Columbia don't use DST and stay on standard time all year. See table below.


DST in Provinces and Territories in Canada in 2023
(13 in total, 8 where all observe DST, 1 which doesn't observe DST, 4 with parts on DST)

AlbertaMar 12 – Nov 5Northwest TerritoriesMar 12 – Nov 5Quebec (east)No DST
British Columbia (east, northeast, southeast)No DSTNova ScotiaMar 12 – Nov 5QuebecMar 12 – Nov 5
British ColumbiaMar 12 – Nov 5NunavutMar 12 – Nov 5Saskatchewan (east, west)Mar 12 – Nov 5
ManitobaMar 12 – Nov 5Ontario (northwest)No DSTSaskatchewanNo DST
New BrunswickMar 12 – Nov 5OntarioMar 12 – Nov 5YukonNo DST
Newfoundland and LabradorMar 12 – Nov 5Prince Edward IslandMar 12 – Nov 5

Daylight Saving Time History in Canada

  • Canada first observed Daylight Saving Time in 1908.
  • Canada has observed DST for 112 years between 1908 and 2024 (DST in at least one location).
  • Previous time with no Daylight Saving Time was 1913.
  • See Worldwide DST Statistics

On July 1, 1908, the residents of Port Arthur, Ontario, today's Thunder Bay, turned their clocks forward by 1 hour to start the world's first DST period. Other locations in Canada soon followed suit. On April 23, 1914, Regina in Saskatchewan implemented DST. The cities of Winnipeg and Brandon in Manitoba did so on April 24, 1916.

DST in Canada Today

It is up to the legislation in each municipality in Canada to decide on the use of DST. As a result, there are some locations don't follow the DST schedule of their in provinces and territories. For example, while British Columbia uses DST, some locations in the province do not. These include Chetwynd, Creston, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, and Fort St. John. In Saskatchewan, it is the opposite. Most of the province does not observe DST, except for some locations, including Creighton and Denare Beach. From March 8, 2020, Yukon made DST permanent.

Since 2007, all provinces, territories, and locations in Canada using DST follow the same start and end dates as the United States.