Ontario Could Finally Be Scrapping Daylight Saving For Good Soon

You might not have to change your clocks back and forth for much longer.

A bill tabled on October 7, 2020, by Ottawa West—Nepean MPP Jeremy Roberts could end Ontario's daylight saving for good.

Bill 214, the Time Amendment Act, 2020, seeks to make what is currently called daylight saving time the standard time year-round.

This would mean you'd no longer have to remember to change your clocks twice a year.

Narcity spoke with Roberts about the bill, why it's important, and what it could mean for the province.

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Is Ontario getting rid of daylight saving time?

While there is no definite answer to it ending yet, a standard time could be on the horizon.

"Bill 214 [...] will end the bi-annual time change in Ontario, and basically bring us to permanent daylight savings time," Roberts explained.

The bill, which passed second reading on October 7, 2020, must now pass third reading to become law in Ontario. There is, however, a catch.

"This bill won't actually come into effect until the Attorney General of Ontario decides to bring it into effect," says the MPP. 

"As much as we want to see the time change ended in Ontario, we want to do this in coordination with our neighbours in Quebec and New York, but also Michigan and Manitoba."

Why is ending Ontario's daylight saving important?

"I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had problems trying to fix their car clock when the time change happens," Roberts said.

The time change might have bigger implications than forgetting to change your clocks.

"There's been a whole bunch of studies [...] that are suggesting the time change actually has a lot of bad health implications."

Roberts stated that one study found an increase in depression rates as well as spikes in heart attacks and fatal car crashes.

The standard permanent time would also allow for more light in the evening.

"[It] would give everybody a bit more daylight when they get home from work... and also, for our small businesses, it gives more daylight time for people to come out and shop."

When could Ontario's daylight saving bill go into effect?

There is no exact time frame as to when we could expect these changes to be implemented.

Bill 214 will now go to a parliamentary committee, where Ontarians will likely be able to offer feedback.

Roberts highlighted the fact that it also depends on what the other jurisdictions decide to do.

"There are a handful of provinces and states all looking to make this change," he said.

"If we make it through to final reading I'm going to reach out to some of my counterparts in the Quebec Provincial Legislature and the New York State Legislature and ask them if they want to consider doing this as well."