Bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent heads to B.C. Legislature Thursday
Posted October 30, 2019 1:28 pm.
Last Updated October 30, 2019 4:39 pm.
VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – This weekend could be the last time British Columbians ‘fall back’ to Standard Time.
A bill on ending time changes, and making Daylight Saving Time permanent, is being tabled at the B.C. Legislature Thursday.
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B.C. Attorney General David Eby confirmed it will be introduced in Victoria, but isn’t giving specifics.
“We’ll be announcing all the details in the bill tomorrow. I look forward to that,” he says. “It will be based on our engagement with other British Columbians across the province.”
Legislation for eliminating the twice a year time change is coming tomorrow. It *won’t* change what happens this weekend but if passed would mean it’s the last time we have to fall back (after one more spring forward)#DaylightSavingTime #bcpoli
— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) October 30, 2019
It’s unclear whether this change would be contingent on the rest of the West Coast states and provinces getting on board, but Eby says he wants to see B.C. in the same time zone as its trading partners.
Some states have already said they would be open to it, but would need the approval of the U.S. Congress.
At the end of September, Premier John Horgan had said he expected legislation on the time change to be tabled in the coming weeks.
RELATED: Bye-bye to bi-annual time change in B.C.?: Overwhelming majority in favour of sticking with year-round DST
Consultations on time changes done by the province that surveyed 150,000 people earlier this year found overwhelming support – 93 per cent in favour – in keeping DST all year long.
If passed, clocks would need to be changed one last time with a ‘spring forward’ in 2019.
– With files from the Canadian Press
