EDMONTON – Alberta took the first formal step Thursday toward ending more than a half-century of annual clock changes.
Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government introduced a bill that would see the province remain on daylight time year-round starting Nov. 1.
Albertans would stop changing their clocks twice a year for the first time since they voted to do so in a referendum in 1971.
Since then, there has been debate – and a failed referendum – over doing away with clock changes.
Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally, who introduced the bill in the house, said it’s time to move on and introduce what he calls “Alberta Time.”
“We’re now done talking about it, and we’re taking action,” Nally told reporters.
”(And) in terms of (calling it) Alberta Time, it just seemed like it would be a good one.”
Smith signalled earlier this week the move was coming and said decisions such as the recent one from neighbouring British Columbia to ditch clock changes forced her hand.
If the bill passes, Albertans wouldn’t turn their clocks back an hour in the fall.
Staying on permanent daylight time, Albertans would see more darkness longer in the morning during winter but enjoy more daylight at day’s end.
It would mean big differences in the sprawling province.
In the town of High Level in the northwest, the sun would rise on Christmas Day at 10:38 a.m. and would set just over six hours later at 4:58 p.m.
In Medicine Hat, in the southeast corner, there would be a lot more light, with the sun rising at 9:20 a.m. and setting eight hours later at 5:25 p.m.
Nally said Albertans would benefit by having more time at the end of the day to enjoy family or take their dogs for a walk while the sun is still out.
On the downside, children would head to school in the dark and the timing of nationally televised sports, such as hockey, might be affected.
Nally addressed that possible problem. “No one in this room’s a bigger (Edmonton) Oiler fan than I am.
“And I’ve got to tell you, you can drop that puck at 10 o’clock (at night) and I’m not missing the game.
“It’s not gonna change Albertans from being Oilers fans or (Calgary) Flames fans.”
The decision would put Alberta permanently six hours behind the universal base longitude line that runs through Greenwich in east London.
The bill is expected to reignite debate over whether permanent daylight or standard time is best.
Medical and circadian rhythm experts say standard time is better to match human biology while avoiding dark mornings. Daylight time advocates say more late light promotes recreation and other sun-fun activities.
Elizabeth Keys, an assistant nursing professor who studies sleep patterns, said morning light helps reset people’s daily rhythm and delaying it means people will stay up later and lose sleep the next morning.
That can be even worse for adolescents who typically stay up later than usual on weekends, said Keys, with the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus.
Adopting permanent daylight time, she said, is “kind of experimenting with the whole province what that will look like in terms of delaying that (morning light) exposure and risking even more sleep deprivation.”
Smith has left the door open on revisiting year-round daylight time but said it’s time to at least try it.
“People don’t really know what it’s going to be until they live it,” the premier said Wednesday. “I’m sure we’ll get a gauge on whether or not people think that we’ve made a mistake.”
Twice-annual clock changes have fuelled the ire of pet owners and parents of young children and their out-of-whack daily rhythms.
Adopting permanent daylight time was narrowly defeated in a provincewide referendum five years ago.
Albertans are scheduled to vote on a raft of referendum questions Oct. 19, but Smith said time change won’t be on it.
She said if citizens voted then to stay on permanent daylight time, it would only leave two weeks for businesses and others to prepare.
The Northwest Territories is following Alberta’s lead to adopt permanent daylight time, announcing this week it would make the change to stay in line with Alberta.
To the east, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said he plans to consult the public on whether it should also ditch clock changes.
Should Alberta move to year-round daylight time, it means B.C. would be one hour behind Alberta all year, and Saskatchewan and Alberta would always be on the same time.
It would be a step toward consistency for Lloydminster, a city that straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary but has previously followed the Alberta clock.
Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers, in a statement, said harmonized times would help “reduce confusion and prevent missed doctor’s appointments, business meetings and social events.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2026.
— With files from Dayne Patterson in Calgary
