A lost hour of sleep will occur on Sunday, March 14 at 2 a.m when the clocks spring forward as British Columbia prepares for longer days and shorter nights with Daylight Savings Time.
Germany and Austria are credited with the initiation of DST in 1916, however, it was actually Canadians in Port Arthur, today known as Thunder Bay, Ontario who implemented the time measure on July 1, 1908. Regina, Saskatchewan and Brandon, Manitoba soon followed suit.
A 2019 survey conducted by B.C.’s government found many in favour of legislation that would allow the province to observe Daylight Saving Time permanently.
As a result, B.C. passed legislation outlining its plan to switch to “Pacific Standard Time,” alongside major U.S. districts including that of Washington State, Oregon and California.
The move has since been halted by the coronavirus pandemic, B.C. Premier John Horgan confirmed.
“In the middle of a pandemic, making changes to daylight saving is not an urgent issue on people’s minds,” Horgan said in a Sept. 2020 news release.
People can expect to get the missing hour back later in the fall, when Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 7.
with files from Sarah Grochowski
K-J Millar | Journalist
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