For some, the past few days have been a blur.
The return to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday has meant resetting clocks and readjusting schedules. Each spring, clocks in most parts of Canada are set one hour ahead in spring, and in fall, clocks are set back one hour.
The reasoning behind the time change was to reduce the need for lighting and heating, by taking advantage of natural daylight in the evening. However, the effect of the time change in reducing energy consumption remains disputed.
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While the loss of a single hour from the spring time change may seem inconsequential over the course of a year, opponents of Daylight Saving Time have said the adjustments are difficult.
Some studies suggest the spring time shift can result in increased health problems and an increased risk of traffic accidents in the days following the time change.
In a world where many are already dealing with chronic lack of sleep, the single hour lost during the spring time change can have a noticeable effect in the following days.
Not all parts of Canada make the switch to Daylight Saving Time. Saskatchewan has been on year-round standard time since 1966 and the Yukon Territory abandoned the time switch in 2020.
Other parts of the world have observed Daylight Saving Time in past years, but have since abandoned it. This includes countries such as Argentina, Brazil, China, Russia, South Africa and others. Parts of Australia continue to use Daylight Savings Time, but other areas have abandoned the time switch.
While there has been some talk about the future of Daylight Savings Time, and while there is annual grumbling about the time switch, especially in spring, the time change ritual continues in most parts of Canada, the United States and Europe, as well as in several other countries.
For a number of years, there have been discussions on whether to abandon the time change in British Columbia. Is it time for the provincial government to do away with the seasonal switches and have clocks on a consistent time throughout the year?
– Black Press
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