Enough with the clock-flipping: B.C. rightly adopts permanent daylight saving time
It's about time we said good riddance to the biannual nuisance
Art by Sofiya Lobkova.
Most people can adjust their schedules and get used to a time change in a few days, but research shows that even this small change can negatively affect someone’s sleep, mood, and overall health.
This month, B.C. Premier David Eby announced that the province won’t be adopting seasonal time changes and will apply year-round daylight saving time. This means British Columbians turned their clocks forward by an hour for the last time on March 8.
The shift to daylight saving time (DST) is associated with increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and digestive system problems, as well as issues around childbirth and pregnancy.
As our body reacts to external changes, people tend to feel more tired, lethargic, monotonous, and out of sync during the transition week.
Not everyone is the same, I know, and some people might tend to go with the flow and continue with their lifestyle without any disruption or lower productivity.
But sleep disruptions aren’t any minor issues. They can cause intense situations like increased stress, high blood pressure, and even contribute to health risks such as heart problems or reduced reaction times.
Every March and November, like clockwork, millions of Canadians were going through the same ritual: stumbling around the house half asleep and turning the clocks forward or backward. Phones and laptops adjust automatically, but our bodies don’t. So twice a year, we collectively shift our schedules, sleep routines, and all our moods in the name of DST.
Introduced during the First World War, DST was a way to conserve energy by maximizing daylight hours. At that time, this idea made sense: more daylight maintenance equaled to less fuel needed for lighting homes during nighttime. But in the modern world, DST doesn’t make sense, since the original reason doesn’t hold up anymore.
The fall time change isn’t much bigger, but even though we gain an hour, the sudden shift still confuses the body — especially for people who rely on strict routines with young children, seniors, or individuals with health conditions.
Some parts of Canada have let go of DST before B.C. In 2020, the Yukon decided to stay at one time the whole year round. Most of Saskatchewan doesn’t change its clocks, just like some northern B.C. communities.
And guess what? They are doing just fine without any widespread chaos — no confused people wandering around.
The annual time change no longer served a meaningful purpose and continued to create real physical, mental, and social consequences. Stability is the key to a healthier lifestyle, and one should stay consistent externally and internally.
It is time we stop forcing ourselves to adjust the time twice a year.
