With British Columbia announcing it will permanently stay on daylight saving time, the question is back on the table for Ontario: should the province follow suit and stop changing the clocks twice a year?
CBC's Jayden Dill hit the streets of Ottawa to ask residents exactly that, and the answers were pretty revealing about how divided people are on this annual headache.
The Case for Staying on Daylight Time Year-Round
The argument for permanent daylight saving time comes down to evening light. More daylight in the evening means more time after work or school to be active outside, more light for commuters heading home, and a general sense that the day feels longer and more livable.
Proponents also point to health benefits: research has linked the twice-yearly clock change to disruptions in sleep, increases in heart attacks and car accidents in the days following the switch, and general misery for anyone who struggles with schedule adjustments.
The Case Against
Critics of permanent daylight time argue that it comes at a cost in the morning. In winter, a permanently advanced clock means children would be going to school in the dark for months. Some health researchers actually favour permanent standard time as more aligned with natural light cycles.
There's also the question of coordination. If Ontario shifts permanently while neighbouring Quebec, Manitoba, and the United States stay on a different schedule, it creates confusion for cross-border business, travel, and logistics.
What Ottawa Residents Think
Ottawa, as a border city with significant ties to Gatineau and Quebec, has particular stakes in this debate. An Ottawa-only (or Ontario-only) time shift without Quebec coordination could create a bizarre situation where the two sides of the river operate on different times year-round.
Residents in CBC's Ottawa street interviews were split but passionate, the annual "spring forward" is universally disliked, even if opinions on the solution vary.
The Political Reality
Ontario has passed legislation that would allow it to move to permanent daylight time, but only if Quebec and New York State make the same move. So far, coordination hasn't happened. B.C.'s announcement may add new momentum to the conversation, but for now, Ontarians will still be changing their clocks this Sunday.
Set them forward one hour before you go to bed Saturday night.
Source: CBC Ottawa
