Daylight Saving Time Starts This Weekend & Here's How Late The Sunset Will Be Where You Live
The clocks are changing in Canada this weekend as daylight saving time comes into effect and that means sunsets are going to happen so much later!
Daylight saving time, which is also called DST, is when the clocks go forward one hour from standard time in March and then back in November to make better use of natural daylight.
With this "spring forward" happening on Sunday, March 12, 2023, most places across the country will have the time skip ahead by one hour in the early morning which means people will lose an hour of sleep.
You might be disappointed that you're losing an hour of sleep, but you will probably be happy to know that the change to daylight saving time will push back the sunset time all over Canada.
So, the sun will set an hour later on Sunday than it did on Saturday and for months after that the sunset time will get even later!
In Vancouver, before the time change, the sunset is at 6:11 p.m., but after the time change the sunset time will be 7:12 p.m. Also, the latest sunset during daylight saving time is 9:22 p.m. from June 22 to 28.
Calgary gets the sunset at 6:34 p.m. before the clocks change, but the sunset time is 7:35 p.m. after it happens. Then, the latest sunset time in Calgary is 9:55 p.m. from June 23 to 26.
In Winnipeg, the sunset will be at 6:26 p.m., before the time change, and after the clocks spring forward the sunset will be at 7:28 p.m. The latest sunset time will be 9:41 p.m. from June 22 to 28.
The sun will set at 6:18 p.m. in Toronto, before daylight saving time, and then at 7:19 p.m. after it. The latest sunset time in the city will be 9:03 p.m. from June 24 to 29.
Montreal will get the sunset at 5:54 p.m. before the time change but then it's at 6:55 p.m. after. Also, the latest sunset time is 8:47 p.m. from June 24 to 28.
People in Halifax will see the sunset at 6:14 p.m. before the clocks spring forward and at 7:16 p.m. after. During daylight saving time, the latest sunset is at 9:03 p.m. from June 20 to July 2.
In Moncton, sunset is at 6:19 p.m. before the time change and at 7:20 p.m. after it. The latest the sun will set is at 9:14 p.m. from June 20 to July 1.
Charlottetown will see the sunset at 6:12 p.m. before daylight saving time and at 7:13 p.m. after. The latest sunsets will happen from June 22 to 30 at 9:08 p.m.
People in St. John's will experience sunset at 6 p.m. before the time change and at 7:01 p.m. after it. Also, the latest sunset is from June 21 to 30 at 9:02 p.m.
In Yellowknife, the sunset is at 6:27 p.m. before daylight saving time and at 7:30 p.m. after it comes into effect. The city's latest is at 11:39 p.m. from June 21 to 23!
Does Canada have permanent daylight saving time?
Some places in Canada have gotten rid of time changes and some are either on permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time.
That means the clocks don't change twice a year in March and November in those places.
Yukon had its last time change in 2020 and after daylight saving time came into effect that year, the clocks never went back to standard time.
Most of Saskatchewan doesn't observe time changes and only small parts of the province use daylight saving time.
Also, some areas in B.C., Nunavut's Southampton Island and some places in Quebec don't change the clocks twice a year.
Is Canada getting rid of daylight saving time?
There have been attempts by some places in Canada to get rid of standard and daylight saving time changes but nothing has actually happened.
In 2019, B.C. passed legislation outlining its plan to switch to a standard pacific time with Washington, Oregon and California but no official switch has been made yet.
Politicians in Ontario have been trying to get rid of time changes over the last few years but it hasn't happened because the province needs neighbouring provinces and U.S. states to do the same.
That includes Quebec, whose premier said he was "open" to switching to one permanent time but hasn't moved forward with scrapping time changes.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
