Alberta’s Smith looking to ditch clock changes as B.C. moves to permanent daylight

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says with the province’s neighbours to the west moving to adopt year-round daylight time, it’s once again time to consider abandoning the practice of changing clocks twice a year.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says his province will spring forward an hour for the final time Sunday in an effort to make life easier.

That means it will be in lock-step with Alberta from November to March, and Alberta will sync with Saskatchewan from March to November.

Smith says along with Saskatchewan’s use of year-round central standard time, B.C.’s shift raises questions about whether Alberta should aim for consistency across the western provinces.

Almost five years ago, a referendum question was put to Albertans to keep daylight time year-round, but it failed by the narrowest of margins — 50.2 per cent to 49.8 per cent.

Smith has previously mused about putting the issue on a ballot and now says her United Conservatives will take another look.

“Our government will take these recent developments under consideration and evaluate whether a similar change would be in the best interest of Albertans,” she said in a statement Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2026.

— With files from Wolfgang Depner in Victoria