B.C. will keep its clocks steady on Nov. 1 while Washington moves back an hour, leaving the regions an hour apart.
The Story
For the first time in decades, British Columbia will not take part in the annual fall back time change, after establishing a new time zone code.
On Nov. 1, Washington and other states will move back an hour, but B.C. will not, meaning the two regions will be an hour apart.
The change is also expected to affect timing for people who travel between the regions, with some commenters describing having to adjust work schedules and travel plans.
Online commenters on Reddit also raised concerns about potential confusion, including in Canada as other provinces dial back their clocks on Nov. 1.
The new time zone code for B.C. is PCT, and some confusion was noted in online discussion between B.C.’s code and terms used to describe other North American time settings.
The shift to year-round time follows support reported in a 2019 public survey, with 93 per cent of B.C. residents backing daylight saving time year-round, and the change came about seven years after the idea was first floated.
B.C. cited scientifically backed reasons for the switch, including potential health benefits and the lack of impact on cardiac rhythms.
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