Ontario Set to Lose an Hour of Sleep This Weekend—What to Know About Daylight Saving Time
Spring Forward: What You Need to Know About Daylight Saving Time in Canada
It’s time to move ahead—at least when it comes to our clocks.
On Sunday, Canadians will lose an hour of sleep as clocks jump forward to mark the start of daylight saving time. This shift brings darker mornings but longer daylight hours through the spring and summer.
When Does Daylight Saving Time Begin?
Clocks will move forward one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Most Wi-Fi-connected devices will update automatically, but analog clocks, home appliances, and some watches may need to be adjusted manually when you wake up.
When Does It End?
Daylight saving time will last nearly eight months, ending on Sunday, November 2, when clocks will “fall back” an hour.
Who Observes Daylight Saving Time?
Most Canadian provinces follow daylight saving time, except for parts of Saskatchewan, which remains on Central Standard Time year-round. Yukon also sticks to Yukon Standard Time, meaning clocks there don’t change.
Additionally, some communities in British Columbia, Nunavut, Ontario, and Quebec opt out of the time shift.
In the U.S., Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time.
Why Do We Have Daylight Saving Time?
Canadians were introduced to daylight saving during World War I when the federal government implemented it to conserve energy. However, the move sparked debate.
In March 1918, rural communities in Ontario opposed the change, arguing that evening daylight was more useful for farming than early mornings, when frost and rain could delay work. On the other hand, Sam McBride, a Toronto city controller (and later mayor), supported it, calling it “one of the greatest energy-saving methods” without disrupting industry.
Since then, supporters argue that longer daylight hours benefit retailers, as people are more likely to shop after work.
Does Daylight Saving Time Affect Health?
Daylight saving time has been linked to mood disturbances and an increase in hospital admissions, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
A 2022 report for the Canadian Sleep Society found widespread agreement that time changes disrupt sleep quality and daytime functioning. Research also suggests a spike in traffic accidents and workplace injuries, particularly right after the clocks change.
Will Daylight Saving Time Ever Be Abolished?
For now, daylight saving time is here to stay—at least in Ontario.
In 2020, Ontario passed a law to make daylight time permanent, but only if New York and Quebec did the same. So far, neither has followed suit. New York legislators have introduced a bill to study the impact, while Quebec recently completed a public consultation but has not committed to a decision.
In the U.S., former President Donald Trump called daylight saving time “inconvenient” and “costly”, vowing to end it. However, no executive action has been taken, and he has remained silent on the issue in recent statements.
Globally, several countries—including Azerbaijan, Iran, Jordan, Namibia, Russia, Samoa, Syria, Turkey, and Uruguay—have eliminated seasonal time changes in recent years. Egypt abolished daylight saving time in 2014 but reinstated it in 2023.
