Letters, Nov. 3
The times, they aren’t a-changin’ I would like to ask Premier Wab Kinew a very simple question: Why in the world would you want to leave the clocks on permanent […]
Premier Wab Kinew is being asked why he wants to keep Manitoba on permanent daylight time instead of continuing to change the clocks twice a year, as has been the norm for decades. The argument is that Manitoba is in the geographical middle of Canada and should reflect that in its time zone. Changing the clocks twice a year has been part of Manitoban life since 1963, so why fix something that works?
There are practical concerns too; permanent daylight time means darker mornings in winter, affecting school kids and workers. The main question is why Manitoba wants to diverge from the time system that suits its location and its western neighbours. The proposal has been criticized for ignoring the well-being of Manitobans and not considering their input properly.
It was not a true referendum, as only 4.8% of Manitobans voted and only 2.8% were in favor of keeping permanent daylight time. The proposal also places Manitoba at the same time as New York City and Quebec City, which is seen as absurd. The author suggests that a noon sun guideline would place Manitoba closer to the time zones of places like Dallas and Mexico City, who are at the same longitude as Winnipeg, but are on GMT -6, not GMT -5.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
