WATCH: With a new government in power, opponents of time changes say it’s time to scrap the practice. A petition for ‘Stop the Time Change B.C.’ has more than 26,000 signatures. Isabelle Raghem reports.
Most British Columbians moved their clocks forward one hour this weekend. But if you had hoped the B.C. government was going to change Daylight Saving Time in the near future, you might want to roll back your expectations.
In a statement the province said “We have heard from many people on both sides of the issue. However, there are no plans for a formal public consultation at this point.”
It comes despite hints by Premier John Horgan that he was considering a change, which was often linked to a possible change to the date of Family Day ?now moving from second to the third Monday in February next year.
“Daylight Saving Time and the timing of the holiday in February are two issues that I didn’t expect to have as much interest in, but I’m excited that British Columbians are sending me their points of view on those, and we’ll make decisions on those when it’s appropriate,” said Horgan in November, noting he had received thousands of emails on the topic, mostly against the practice.
“It’s just not needed anymore,” says Robert Dieno, the head of the group ‘Stop the Time Change B.C.’.
Dieno has been working for years to eliminate it gaining more than 26,000 signatures on his petition, asking B.C. to join Saskatchewan in eliminating the move.
“All the negative health effects, even one hour people say it’s not very much but it really does affect people,” added Dieno.
Clocks will moved forward an hour from 2:00 to 3:00 a.m. PT on March 11 in most of British Columbia, as they have since citizens endorsed the idea in a 1952 plebiscite.
But the Peace River Regional District and the town of Creston have long ignored the practice, and Fort Nelson joined them in 2015.
“It was established in the first place as an effort to save energy, and that’s no longer relevant,” said Grand Forks councillor Christine Thompson, whose motion to ask the government to consult on possibly abolishing Daylight Saving Time in B.C. was adopted at the Union of B.C. Municipalities annual convention last year.
Thompson says she’s disappointed with the provincial government for not taking action, but she’s not surprised.
“There’s been petitions and there’s been resolutions brought before the UBCM previously,” she said.
“I would encourage British Columbians as a whole to contact their MLA if they are in favour of the abolition.”
With files from CBC
Isabelle Raghem
