VANCOUVER -- On Sunday morning, the clocks will "spring forward" as they always do this time of year, but many hoped this would be the last time.
Last summer, a B.C. government survey saw more than 93 per cent of respondents – almost 225,000 people – support a permanent move to daylight time.
This week, the Yukon announced the territory will no longer participate in seasonal time changes.
But, despite the overwhelming support, and despite legislation being passed last fall, it looks unlikely that B.C. will make the change this year. That's because Washington State, Oregon and California haven’t changed yet.
“We also heard from British Columbians that they felt that having the same time zone as our current neighbours – Washington, Oregon and California – was the best way to go,” Premier John Horgan told reporters on Feb. 27.
To date, Washington state and Oregon have approved legislation committing to a year-round Pacific time, and a majority of voters in California have cast ballots supporting the move. But, turning those state initiatives into law requires the ascent of the U.S. Congress – something Horgan said is not a priority right now in U.S. federal politics.
"The likelihood of a Congressional approval of this is even less today than it was in the fall," Horgan said. "We're in an election year in the United States, but we'll be springing forward on March 8 and will have some time through the spring and into the summer to decide whether we're going to fall back."
Tara Holmes, cofounder of advocacy group Stop the Time Change, says the premier needs to make a decision either way.
“Even if it is going to be a little bit more of a wait, what we really want from him now is an official announcement. So even if it is a year from now, it’s happening officially, none of this waffling,” Holmes said.
Alberta released results of its own survey on Friday, showing 91 per cent of the 141,000 people surveyed support ending daylight saving time.
