The Alberta government is expected to take steps this week to permanently make the switch to daylight saving time.
Government sources have confirmed to Global News that making the move permanent will be part of an omnibus bill that will be tabled in the Alberta legislature later this week.
The confirmation comes after Premier Danielle Smith said in an interview with Postmedia that the move to daylight saving time this spring was the last time clocks in Alberta would be changed, meaning the clocks will not be falling back an hour in the fall, nor will they be moved ahead an hour next spring.
The legislation to make the move permanent would still need to be voted on in the legislature.
Going forward, this means Alberta would be on the same time as Saskatchewan year-round.
Alberta clocks would also be an hour ahead of British Columbia, where the switch to daylight saving time was already made permanent when B.C. residents moved their clocks forward an hour on March 8, 2026.
The move also comes five years after Albertans voted in a province-wide referendum, by the narrowest of margins — 50.2 per cent to 49.8 per cent — to reject the idea of moving permanently to daylight saving time.
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However, following B.C.’s decision to make the switch permanent this spring, Premier Smith said her government would once again consider abandoning the practice of changing clocks twice per year.
The province traditionally “springs forward” on the second Sunday in March and “falls back” on the first Sunday in November.
However, according to the Pew Research Center, only about a third of the world’s countries follow daylight saving time. The vast majority of them are in Europe.
A survey by the provincial government in 1991 also showed that 91 per cent of surveyed Albertans were in favour of moving permanently to daylight saving time.
If the legislation passes and Alberta sticks to daylight saving time year-round, the province would also be on the same time as Manitoba in winter and one hour behind Manitoba in summer.
However, that could change as Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has recently mused about going on one clock year-round.
The change would mean much of Ontario and Quebec would be one hour ahead in winter and two hours ahead in summer.
Most of the Atlantic provinces would be two hours ahead in winter and three hours ahead in the summer.
Alberta adopted daylight saving time in 1971 after a referendum on the subject passed with 61.5 per cent of voters in favour.
Since then, politicians across the spectrum have periodically petitioned for changes.
The former NDP government explored doing away with daylight time in 2017, but did not go ahead in part over concerns about the impact on airline schedules and starting times for NHL games.
With files from The Canadian Press.
A lot of no it all no nothings on here, folks
The government needs to do some research on DST. Many countries have tried DST and people hate the winter months, then they have to reverse it. DST goes against our circadian rhythm. We need sunlight in the morning! We need to be on standard time! The extra hours of sunshine in the summer are not worth the awful winter months. Russia has similar continental climate patterns as Canada and they found increased health issues and increased depression, so they then had to change to standard time. The studies are available please read before voting yes to DST.
Well said Mr Bill!!
I was happy with switching to get advantages of both in their season. If you can’t handle the 1 hour time change, I hope you don’t plan to travel outside of your time zone.
Saskatchewan is actually in the MST zone but adopted Daylight Savings in 1966 full time. I would rather stay on the MST zone (standard time) myself. The last referendum was basically a sawoff. 50.2% voted to keep changing clocks and 48.8 voted for daylight savings time. There was no option for standard time. Pick one and go with it. Tired of changing clocks.
We want Standard Time. What is with you guys and DST.
Standard time is better for your circadian rhythm. I don’t want it getting light out at 10 am in the winter. And I don’t need it to stay light out until 11 pm in the summer. Go with the natural time zone MST and stop with DST.
Going to MDST is essentially going to CST, Saskatchewan Time.
I’d rather match with BC than Saskatchewan.
I’m happy with Daylight Time, I’d much rather have sun later in the evening in the summer.
Standard time please!! Sun won’t be up until 10 am in the winter! 😖
Nenshi is irrelevant. Alberta NDP made a huge mistake making this clown as the leader of the party
@Lin. We are on UCPs payroll as we prefer long summer nights? Are you on the Nenshi/NDP space cadet program.
Lin’s comment is reasonable.
Staying on standard time would be better.
There are reasons we have time zones in the first place people.
Just reading comments here its very obvious many are on uceepee payroll.
@Lin . Now the evening drive home and after school will stay lighter instead. Still the same amount of sunlight per day. The sun dictates that
As a golfer I prefer AB to stay on DST. The total right choice. Longer sun in the summer evenings. Winter is dark regardless.
Dark mornings, poor driving habits, not being fully awake in the mornings, winter road conditions, blinding LED head lamps. What could go wrong?
Making Albetans Safer reads the sign in front of them while they make the announcement for DST year round.
@hary. Saskatchewan is a very from where the Eastern time zone starts.
Or would you prefer AB to be now on the same time zone as BC going forward.
“AB will now be on the same time as Saskatchewan. So what is the issue?”
So why stop there?
Why not then just all of Canada be on Eastern time zone.
Personally, I would have preferred to stay on standard time permanently but would definitely choose daylight savings time over clock changes twice a year. As for the reasons given for keeping the time change? Really! Hockey playoffs and airline schedules? Okay so what happens when that hockey tournament takes place in or your flight leaves from a location that’s eliminated the time change? You have the problem anyway while keeping the hassle, exhaustion and health issues that result from resetting our clocks!
@Bill.
AB will now be on the same time as Saskatchewan. So what is the issue?
@Bob Tell us why….
Dig deep and you will find who and why behind the push to make DST permanent.
They could careless if we needed to move the clocks every week. Hence no option for standard time.
The vote five years ago did NOT offer the option to choose sticking to standard time, which is what Saskatchewan does. The BC vote didn’t offer it either. It is mind numbingly stupid to choose daylight time, particularly in light of the fact that sticking to standard time was not even offered as an option.
The referendum should have 3 simple questions
1. leave it like it is
2. standard time
3 daylight saving time
Bad decission!
Should be standard time but… of course, they don’t care, they sleep till 9am and their children don’t walk to school in the dark.
F..k Smith stickers. On sale.
Referendums for the fringes while omnibus for the majority.
Fu.. Marlaina
Lots of referendums coming up but ignore the results of the last one. Just wow.
I thought she would just shift to the NY time zone, why stop here only.
Finally.
But here in 2026 while others are talking electric, Smith talks open air coal mining.
Seriously.
Danielle Smith is a great Premier.
@Brian Jean
Eby isn’t responsible for AB. Lol
About gawddammed time.
@UCP: You nuts? Eby did this already.
Only people crying on this thread are NDP/Nenshi Elbows Up Sympathizers
Changing a clock is absurd but that’s stupid humanity.
OMG people! The sun is still out for the same amount of time. It will still be dark in the winter and light in the summer. But we won’t be readjusting our sleep schedule twice a year.
*eye roll*
I prefer the longer summer nights and then not fall back after Halloween.
This is SOOO frustrating! We already voted NO to this because tons of us that actually knew winter hours are “standard time” don’t want an extra hour of darkness in the already dreary winter mornings. Too many people don’t actually know which time is witch! Keep standard time all year around and that’s fine. In winter an extra hour of morning darkness and icy driving in the roads is going to be terrible. In summer it is much easier to stay asleep to black out curtains than it is to make yourself go to sleep when it’s still light and hot out!
Just leave it alone the way it always was, at Standard Time. Let those who dislike going to work shortly before the sun comes up get over themselves. We’re living a Belly Aching Wuss Society.
Corrie; You are so wrong. The choice was status quo, or stay on daylight savings time permanently. The vote was overwhelming no to daylight savings time permanent.
We asked Smith to get rid of the nasty daylight losing time. She held a referendum, but failed to ask the question “do we want to get rid of the Daylight Savings time?’
She tried to get us to vote for permanent daylight losing time, and we refused. – so now she is ramming it down our throats. Same as every other plan she is demanding.
Please let us vote her and UCP out…
Omnibus bill. So she really doesn’t want citizen opinion. She is also quoted saying “I’m sure they won’t be shy in letting us know.” Regarding disliking sticking to Daylight savings. The referendum failed due to being permanent Savings Time. If you asked for permanent Standard Time you would probably see a 70% majority of YES.
But yes don’t ask the citizens when the answer doesn’t fit your narrative or secret string pullers.
The vote we had in Alberta was to permanently stay on Mountain Standard Time, not Daylight Savings Time.
Wow! It is so great living in a democracy where we have absolutely no rights. Thanks Aunty Danni!
Maybe it works for your two hour work days for others, winter will be more punishing.
Oh, I get it, Trump called and told you…… got it!
Yes, why no referendum on daylight savings vs Standard time? I think people will have strong opinions come December/January when it’s still dark late morning. Can you imagine how dark it will be in the north (Grande Prairie/Peace River)that time of year?
The switch should be to permanent Mountain Standard Time NOT Daylight Savings Time. Why have a referendum if the government is just going to do it anyway.