On 2026-03-02 14:40, Tim Parenti via tz wrote:
CBC, CTV, and Global are reporting the same: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-adopting-year-round- daylight-time-9.7111657 <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c- adopting-year-round-daylight-time-9.7111657> https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/bc-moving-to-permanent-daylight-tim... <https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/bc-moving-to-permanent-daylight-tim...> https://globalnews.ca/news/11713160/bc-david-eby-niki-sharma-announcement-ti... <https://globalnews.ca/news/11713160/bc-david-eby-niki-sharma-announcement-ti...>
Video of the press conference, held at ~12:30 local (UTC−8) Monday by BC Premier David Eby, is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upEasdN8tVE <https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=upEasdN8tVE>
It appears this action represents the activation/enforcement of a 2019 "Interpretation Amendment Act", so it seems the press release from the BC Attorney General may be all the official documentation we'll have to go on for a while. It simply says "Regulation will bring the amendments into effect after Sunday, March 8, 2026." As Winfield, BC's /Lake Country Calendar/ reports it, the 2019 bill "allows the changes to be implemented without any further legislation either way, and the government has opted to stop waiting." https://lakecountrycalendar.com/2026/03/02/eby-announces-permanent-move-to- daylight-saving-time-end-of-clock-changes/ <https:// lakecountrycalendar.com/2026/03/02/eby-announces-permanent-move-to-daylight- saving-time-end-of-clock-changes/>
Confusingly, per CBC, "B.C.'s new time zone will be called 'Pacific Time,' according to the province." By contrast, we already have a longstanding practice of using "MST" in our data for yearround UTC−7 in Yukon as well as for border regions such as America/Dawson_Creek and America/Fort_Nelson. So, although there has already been some breakdown in nomenclature from legacy zones like PST8PDT, that is now brought to a more populous province of ~5.7 million. (For what it's worth, CBC News has been recently using "YST" for Yukon time in their online simulcasts to YouTube.)
The press release points to "[r]ecent actions from the U.S. hav[ing] shifted how B.C. approaches decisions that merit alignment, including on time zones", so the difference in nomenclature between this new "Canadian Pacific Time" and "US Pacific Time" — while likely to cause cross-border confusion next winter — is likely an intentional part of "the province's broader plans to move away from interdependence with the U.S." Although the press release correctly points out that "[n]eighbour jurisdictions like Washington, Oregon and California are all in the process of creating or enacting similar legislation", it does not mention that a similar shift to yearround UTC−7 for those states would be dependent on action from either the US Congress or Department of Transportation.
Seems inadvisable given that natural solar times are ~UTC-9 @ 138W (N coast near AK) to ~UTC-0730 @ 114W (S border with AB). Might want to label this zone BC Pacific Time rather than Canadian, or just BC Time BCT, as Alberta, for example, could decide to switch to its "natural" solar time zone year round UTC-8 (or UTC-0730) and call it (AB) Pacific Time. (UK, Canada, and so on tend not to use periods in abbreviations, acronyms, or contractions, and I think I have seen some guidelines or regulations around that). Provinces in Canada are the sole arbiters of time zone regulations and labels. But Quebec, and/or New Brunswick, and/or the Federal Government represented by Canadian national standards bodies e.g. NRC, could raise issues about what they will call it in English and French to avoid confusion across or between jurisdictions, and decide to keep calling it Mountain Standard Time MST and Heure Normale des Rocheuses HNR in French, or even Yukon Standard Time YST, to avoid confusion with US time zone labels. See Canada > National Research Council > Certifications, evaluations and standards > Canada's official time https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-offici... https://nrc.canada.ca/fr/certifications-evaluations-normes/heure-officielle-... Also, if you look at how late winter sunrise is in the CBC article, especially in northern latitudes (Prince Rupert 10:00), and consider the likely effects on drivers, school children, and accident rates, they would not be the first jurisdiction to have to switch back abruptly when statistics look horrendous. Along with likely economic impacts business and travel groups are raising, they might abandon or reverse their plans, if they realize those effects on their future election prospects, adding to all their other woes they hope this issue may distract from (First Nations property rights are constitutionally guaranteed; private property rights are not: BC Supreme Court ruled land titles "defective and invalid" vs First Nations possibly superior title and claims, supported by current provincial government agreements and policies!)
On Mon, 2 Mar 2026 at 15:59, Arthur Olson via tz wrote:
B. C. Gov News: "Adopting permanent daylight saving time: ‘Spring forward’ on March 8 will be the last time change, ending twice-yearly clock changes."
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026AG0013-000209 <https://news.gov.bc.ca/ releases/2026AG0013-000209>
@dashdashado -- Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada
La perfection est atteinte Perfection is achieved non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter not when there is no more to add mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retrancher but when there is no more to cut -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry