In Western Canada, the practice of switching between daylight and standard time is coming to an end. Manitoba is the latest province to join British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Saskatchewan in eliminating this practice. As a result, Canada’s time zones have undergone significant changes.
Manitoba’s recent decision to stick to daylight time will simplify life for its residents. However, it will create a unique situation in a small part of Ontario. A portion of northwestern Ontario, including Kenora, shares a time zone with Manitoba, causing it to be one hour behind Thunder Bay to the east and Winnipeg to the west during the winter months.
Ontario is not the only province with multiple time zones. The East Kootenay region in southeastern British Columbia will align its time with Alberta, while Newfoundland and Labrador observe Atlantic time. Nunavut spans across three time zones.
In 2020, Ontario passed a law to stop changing times twice a year, contingent on Quebec and New York doing the same. While Quebec has not made any changes, the northern region of Nunavik has shifted to permanent daylight time.
In the United States, the House of Representatives approved a bill to make daylight time permanent nationwide, awaiting Senate approval. Additionally, the New York state Senate is considering a similar change.
