Is permanent daylight savings time or standard time better? What to know
Transitioning to daylight saving time in the spring shifts daylight further into the evening, but in the winter it pushes sunrise later, especially in more northern latitudes.
As daylight saving time (DST) draws to a close, Canadians will adjust their clocks one hour back, while others will not. The Maritime provinces, Quebec, and most regions of Ontario and Nunavut will revert to standard time, whereas British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories will maintain permanent DST.
Experts argue that eliminating seasonal time changes could pose health risks. Professor Kai-Florian Storch of McGill University contends that permanent standard time should be the standard choice. Transitioning to DST in spring elongates daylight hours in the evening, but keeping it through winter shifts sunrise later, especially in northern latitudes.
Storch warns that waking up too far from sunrise could negatively impact sleep patterns, mental health, physical health, and productivity. Professor Rebecca Robillard of the University of Ottawa explains that altered sunrise times can disrupt biological rhythms, leading to various health issues such as cardiovascular problems, immune disorders, digestive issues, kidney problems, pregnancy complications, anxiety, depression, substance use, and suicide.
Canadian cities have observed DST since the 1910s, with the rest of the country standardizing the practice in the late 1960s. The original rationale was to boost productivity and foster economic interactions with the U.S. and other nations. However, as western Canada moves away from DST, it risks falling out of sync with southern provinces.
Professor Patrick Baylis of the University of British Columbia School of Economics emphasizes that uniformity among all Canadian provinces is preferable. He notes that individual performance, particularly among students, could decline due to insufficient sleep, which may have broader economic implications. Shift workers and those with less flexible schedules would bear the brunt of the change.
Baylis predicts that long-term data will reveal the true impact of permanent DST. Meanwhile, Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon of Quebec announced plans to abolish time changes, aiming to determine whether to adopt permanent DST or standard time. Ontario previously indicated its intention to abandon the practice if neighboring Manitoba, Quebec, and New York followed suit. Storch predicts that the early sunrise under permanent DST may prompt a reversal to standard time.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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