Approximately 93 per cent of B.C. residents say time’s up for bi-annual clock changes. No more springing forward and falling back they say.
“The people of British Columbia have spoken and their collective voice has come through loudly and clearly,” wrote Premiere John Horgan in a news release.
The B.C. Government offered the following choices on a petition: B.C. continues the practice of changing our clocks bi-annually; or B.C. adopts year-round observance of Daylight Saving Time.
The B.C. Government website states: “Legislators in California, Oregon and Washington have proposed bills to end the bi-annual time change and observe Daylight Saving Time year-round. Premier John Horgan has reached out to the Governors of these states as well as to the Premier of Yukon, to hear their opinions and help inform the discussion in B.C.”
The proposed change to keep year-round daylight savings time would mean darker mornings and lighter evenings.
Tom Gibson, a competitive athlete and Fernie resident, has an important personal angle on the potential for year-round daylight savings time, and the impact of status-quo bi-annual time changes.
“If it’s the same in the summertime, it wouldn’t effect my summers that much, but in the wintertime, I definitely struggle with a happiness that is related to the amount of light I get,” he explains. “I think for me and a lot of people, having more light in the afternoon is critical for day-to-day happiness.”
Gibson says the move to year-round daylight savings time would improve his quality of life.
“I think it would make such a big difference to my mental health in the winter,” he said. “In the mornings I’ve experimented with natural light wake-ups.”
Fernie resident Kristine Wiess said she is ready to move away from bi-annual clock changes.
“No one really understands why they do it anymore,” she said. “It’s a bit archaic. There was a point in time when it was useful for people. It just shifts your day. It would be nicer to have longer daylight into your evenings. Winter is hard enough. Why lose the sunshine?”
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