Prairie provinces stay on daylight time, end seasonal clock changes

EDMONTON · Five regions have ended the practice of changing clocks twice a year, choosing instead to remain on daylight time permanently. British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, northwestern Ontario and the Northwest Territories did not fall back one hour on Sunday. Saskatchewan already maintains a single time year-round. The change has brought relief to some parents but also concerns about darker mornings and potential scheduling confusion.

Some Edmonton parents welcomed not having to reset their children's sleep schedules. Amanda Petrie said she likes the new system after her son's hockey game. "It's just easier with kids when you don't have to adjust their schedule," she said. Siva Sivabalan agreed, saying the Alberta government made the right call. "I rather have more daylight in the evening time rather than the morning," he said, adding he especially disliked the November change.

Dayhome operator Jenn Irwin-Greer said the seasonal time change always disrupted the children in her care. "(Children) show up a little bit irritable, as we all do when we're tired," she said. "Nap times get thrown out of whack." She is hopeful this year will be easier without the shift, though she worries about darker winter mornings affecting school commutes. Business owners are adjusting to the new reality. Calgary hairstylist Jordan Janovcik said he spent the summer repeatedly confirming with clients that Alberta would not fall back. "I am really concerned for this week," he said in a phone interview, noting that missed appointments mean lost income. "I think this is going to be really hard for a lot of businesses."

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Some Canadians reported their cellphones showed the wrong time on Sunday. Telus said the issue stems from how some phones update their time zone data, not from its network. The company advised customers to ensure their phone's automatic time zone setting is on and to restart the device. A Rogers spokesperson said its network had no issues and directed users to an industry group for update instructions.

Google linked to a blog post with guidance for keeping devices on schedule. "Our teams are working to ensure these updates reach all Canadian users as quickly as possible," the post said. Air Canada reported normal operations, stating flights use an international time standard managed through established data sources. Technology experts had warned the change could disrupt older scheduling software. Irwin-Greer expressed curiosity about the long term effects of stopping the time change on the Prairies. She is concerned about safety during darker morning commutes for students and workers. "Crossing the street and it's hard enough for traffic to see, so hopefully there are not more accidents," she said.

With files from The Canadian Press, BNN Bloomberg and Narcity