NATIONAL PULSE – Most say ending time changes was ‘the right move’
Plurality prefer permanent daylight saving time in BC, MB; but preferences have shifted from spring
By ANGUS REID INSTITUTE
November 12, 2026 – Most in B.C., Alberta and Manitoba say it was the “right move” to opt out of time changes this fall, but the redrawing of the time zone map in the western part of Canada has not been without its challenges, according to new data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute.
Majorities in B.C. (55%) and Manitoba (59%), and a plurality in Alberta (46%), believe it was a good decision to stop the practice of semi-annual clock changes. But majorities in all three provinces say they’ve run into challenges or annoyances since last Sunday when the clocks normally “fall back”.
Devices not adjusting (42% of those who had challenges reported this) and issues with their calendars and meetings (27%) are among the biggest headaches Canadians in B.C., Alberta and Manitoba have run into in their new time zones. There are also those who have struggled with the dark mornings (28%) and worry about school safety with children walking to morning classes in the dark (10%).
The challenges of the new system have perhaps caused Canadians’ preferences to shift. As was the case in the spring, few (14%) Canadians across the entire country prefer the clock changing system of “springing forward, falling back”. Since March, the proportion in B.C. (45%) and Alberta (33%) who prefer the new system of permanent daylight saving time has declined by 10 and 14 points respectively. Manitobans are as likely to prefer the new system now (52%) as they were in the spring (52%).
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