Daylight Savings Time in Canada: In Canada, daylight saving time (DST) is observed in nine of the ten provinces and two of the three territories, with the exception of Nunavut and portions of several provinces.
Under the Canadian Constitution, timekeeping laws are a matter for the provinces and territories. Despite being geographically located in the Mountain Time Zone, the majority of Saskatchewan observes Central Standard Time (CST) year-round. In 2020, the Yukon Territory abandoned seasonal time change and adopted Mountain Standard Time (MST) year-round.
In Canada, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday of March at 2 a.m. and ends on the first Sunday of November at the same time. Therefore, daylight saving time is observed in Canada for a total of 34 weeks (238 days) annually, or approximately 65 percent of the year.
12 Mar 2023 – Daylight Saving Time Started
- When local standard time was about to reach
- Sunday, 12 March 2023, 02:00:00 clocks were turned forward 1 hour to
- Sunday, 12 March 2023, 03:00:00 local daylight time instead.
Sunrise and sunset were about 1 hour later on 12 Mar 2023 than the day before. There was more light in the evening.
Also called Spring Forward, Summer Time, and Daylight Savings Time.
5 Nov 2023 – Daylight Saving Time Ends
- When local daylight time is about to reach
- Sunday, 5 November 2023, 02:00:00 clocks are turned backwards 1 hour to
- Sunday, 5 November 2023, 01:00:00 local standard time instead.
Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour earlier on 5 Nov 2023 than the day before. There will be more light in the morning.
Also called Fall Back and Winter Time.
When does Daylight saving time begin and end in Canada?
Canada observes Daylight Saving Time (DST) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Which Canadian Provinces and Territories do not observe DST?
Yukon, the majority of Saskatchewan, some locations in Québec east of 63° westerly longitude (e.g. Blanc-Sablon), Southampton Island, and some areas of British Columbia observe standard time year-round. Refer to the table below.
DST in Provinces and Territories in Canada
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Northwest Territories | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Quebec (east) | No DST |
| British Columbia (east, northeast, southeast) | No DST | Nova Scotia | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Quebec | 12 Mar – 5 Nov |
| British Columbia | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Nunavut | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Saskatchewan (east, west) | 12 Mar – 5 Nov |
| Manitoba | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Ontario (northwest) | No DST | Saskatchewan | No DST |
| New Brunswick | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Ontario | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Yukon | No DST |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | Prince Edward Island | 12 Mar – 5 Nov | ||
History of Daylight Saving Time in Canada
- In 1908, Canada began observing Daylight Saving Time.
- Between 1908 and 2023, Canada observed DST for 111 years (at least in one location).
- 1913 was the previous year without Daylight Saving Time.
On July 1, 1908, residents of Port Arthur, Ontario, today’s Thunder Bay, advanced their clocks by one hour to initiate the first DST period in the globe. Other Canadian locations soon followed suit. On April 23, 1914, Regina, Saskatchewan implemented daylight saving time. Manitoba communities Winnipeg and Brandon did so on April 24, 1916.
Time Change in Canada Today
It is up to the local legislation in each Canadian municipality to determine whether or not to implement DST. As a result, there are locations in provinces and territories that do not observe daylight saving time. Some locations within British Columbia, for instance, do not observe DST. Chetwynd, Creston, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, and Fort St. John are included. In Saskatchewan, the opposite is true. The majority of the province does not observe DST, with the exception of Creighton and Denare Beach. Effective March 8, 2020, Yukon will observe DST year-round.
Since 2007, all Canadian provinces, territories, and municipalities observing DST observe the same beginning and ending dates as the United States.
