Re: Switching to permanent daylight saving time

I agree with Drs Schwandt’s and Khorasani’s editorials about the limitations of the transition to permanent daylight saving time in BC [BCMJ 2026;68:122; 2026;68:156-157,159]. Additionally, permanent daylight saving time is a contradiction, as daylight saving time is defined as moving clocks forward by 1 hour in the spring, then “falling back” as winter approaches. The reality is that BC has moved from Pacific Time (either Standard or Daylight) to Mountain Standard Time, defined as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) − 7 hours. Mountain Time centres on a longitude of 105° W, passing near Regina, Saskatchewan. BC now uses the same clock as Arizona (which does not have daylight saving time). Alberta will switch to permanent Central Standard Time (UTC − 6 hours) so will remain 1 hour ahead. Premier Eby wants to rename BC Mountain Time as “Pacific Time,” but he is wrong: Pacific Standard Time remains UTC − 8 hours.

As Vancouver and Victoria are both farther west than 120° W longitude (corresponding to 8 hours west of the Greenwich meridian), to match geographic time to our circadian rhythm in the most populated areas of BC, we should move our clocks back—or perhaps just adopt permanent Pacific Standard Time, rather than permanent Mountain Standard Time. With the transition made, Dr Khorasani correctly notes that sunrise will be at 9 a.m. in the middle of winter in Victoria and Vancouver. As the BC coastline continues even farther west, going north, by December the sun will rise at around 10 a.m. in Prince Rupert, Stewart, and Haida Gwaii, but at 8 a.m. in Hyder, Alaska.

The time change will be a major disincentive for anyone who needs to get out of bed to go to work or school. And a sunset 1 hour later during the winter is unlikely to promote outdoor evening recreational activities, as it will be dark. I predict that this “experiment” will fail.
—Richard S. Taylor, MB BS, FRCPC
Victoria

This letter was submitted in response to “Shining light on permanent daylight saving time and health” and “The hidden toll of longer evenings: BC’s experiment with transitioning to permanent daylight saving time.”