Even though B.C. is setting up a new Pacific time zone and doing away with biannual time changes after this Sunday, local governments — as in, regional districts and city councils — are under no obligation to follow suit.
“Just as they can today, local governments will retain the power to determine what time zone they observe,” the provincial government said at the very bottom of its lengthy news release outlining the details of the change.
Although the province sets the baseline time zone for the entirety of B.C., local governments have long been free to observe their own.
That’s why communities in the Peace region of northeast B.C., for example, voted in the 1970s to switch to permanent mountain standard time with no biannual time changes, joined by Fort Nelson in 2014. It’s also why the East Kootenay region is aligned with Alberta, putting it an hour ahead of western B.C. year-round.
In fact, for now the East Kootenay will continue to “spring forward” and “fall back” every March and November with Alberta, meaning it will spend the winter months in the same time zone as B.C. and the summer months one hour ahead.
But that, too, could change as the regional district for East Kootenay has announced it will be consulting with local governments to determine the best path for them moving forward.
“The feedback we’ve received from the public over the last 24 hours … is people want to be on the same time as the rest of British Columbia,” said Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Price, adding he’s heard similar sentiments from other communities.
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He said he’ll be bringing a resolution to the regional district for an aligned decision at the earliest opportunity, which could result in the East Kootenay being in the new Pacific time zone by this fall.
And if all these changes sound a little confusing, people who are already living with the practice of a year-round time zone say there’s nothing to worry about.
“You’ll love it,” said Fort St. John resident Oliver Hachmeister.
Here’s a breakdown of the distinct time zones already in B.C. and how they will be impacted by this Sunday’s change:
The bulk of the province is currently on Pacific standard time — the same time zone observed by Washington State, California and parts of Mexico during the winter months.
On March 8 the region “springs ahead,” losing an hour of sleep as it jumps into Pacific daylight time (known commonly as daylight saving time).
Historically, this region would again “fall back” in November, again alongside states like Washington and California. But starting this year, that will no longer be the case.
Moving forward, this part of the province will be on what is now known as Pacific time — a single, year-round time zone that never changes its clocks.
This means B.C. will be aligned with Washington and California in the summer months, with Alberta an hour ahead, but in November when those regions fall back and B.C. does not, British Columbia will be on the same time zone as Alberta, and an hour ahead of its southern U.S. neighbours.
Nothing is changing for these parts of the province, which includes Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson. Communities here already observe Mountain standard time year round, with no time changes. Moving forward, northeast B.C. will always have the same clocks as southwest B.C., on Pacific time.
Creston, which stands alone in observing year-round Mountain standard time in B.C.’s Kootenay region, will also see no changes and will now be aligned with the bulk of B.C. year-round.
This southeast portion of B.C. which includes Cranbrook, Fernie, Kimberley and Golden is aligned with Alberta, observing Mountain standard time in the winter and springing forward an hour into Mountain daylight time in the spring, putting it an hour ahead of western B.C. year-round.
This will continue to be the practice for the time being, which means the East Kootenay will be an hour ahead of the rest of B.C. in the summer months but on the same clocks in the winter, when it falls back and B.C. stays put.
However, the regional district and local mayors say they are considering switching to permanent Pacific time to bring the region in line with the rest of B.C. year-round.
Use the table below to find out how these changes will impact your community as B.C. moves into permanent daylight time, known as Pacific time.
