Daylight Saving Time Returns This Weekend — Here’s What Time Clocks Spring Forward

                                    

Daylight saving time returns this weekend across Canada, and with clocks springing forward, expect to lose an hour of precious sleep. It’s that time of year again, folks, when we turn the clocks forward, lose an hour of sleep, but finally gain an hour of priceless sunshine all thanks to daylight saving time—a concept some Canadian provinces have been looking to make permanent.

While Canadian regions including Saskatchewan and the territory of Yukon do not observe daylight saving time, the rest of Canada takes part in the action, which occurs between the period of March and November each and every year. In fact, Canada first began observing daylight saving time in 1908 in the town of Port Arthur, Ontario, now known as Thunder Bay. Many other Canadian cities followed suit shortly after, with areas such as Winnipeg and Brandon joining the festivities in 1916. Today, legislation in each municipality in Canada gets to decide on the use of daylight saving time, as indicated by Time & Date. This means that while some provinces may follow daylight saving time, certain locations within that province might not. For example, while British Columbia uses daylight saving time, some locations in BC do not, including Chetwynd, Creston, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, and Fort St. John.

With six time zones across Canada, you might wonder when daylight saving time is in 2024. According to Time & Date, daylight saving time officially begins Sunday, March 10 at 2:00 a.m. when clocks will be turned forward by one hour. Most electronics, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets, will automatically adjust according to daylight saving time. However, it’s best to switch any analogue or manual clocks by an hour before bedtime on March 10 or when you wake up (slightly more tired) the morning of. After turning the clocks forward, you might feel as if the days are longer than usual, and while we’ll still be able to enjoy the same 24 hours as before, Time & Date points out that there will be a lot more light in the evening. So, say goodbye to the days of 5:30 p.m. sunsets in Canada.

As for when daylight saving time ends in Canada, we’ll be switching the clocks back by an hour on November 3, 2024—gaining an hour of sleep, losing more sunlight, and coming to terms with this vicious cycle of time.