should quebec ditch daylight time? pros and cons to consider
the caq government is mulling the idea of abolishing the twice-yearly time change and is giving everyone a chance to vote on their preference: summer time all year round, or winter time?
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quebecers are once again gearing up to turn their clocks back by an hour this weekend — this time amid consultations as to whether the practice should become a thing of the past. the quebec government is mulling the idea of abolishing the twice-yearly time change, something sleep experts have been suggesting for years.
“the utility of the time change has been taken into question by recent studies showing its impact on our health, economy and daily lives,” quebec’s justice ministry site reads.
not sure what your stance is? confused about what any of this means?
here’s a breakdown:
what is daylight time?
daylight time involves shifting time forward one hour in the summer to add an hour of daylight in the evening. it’s changed back to standard time the following autumn. a common misconception is that the winter months are when daylight time is in effect; it is, in fact, the summer.
where did it come from?
the practice was introduced by the canadian government in 1918 to increase production during the first world war by shifting an hour of sunlight to after dinner.
the u.s. congress voted to move to year-round daylight time in 1974 but changed course after people complained about having to go to school and work in the dark on winter mornings.
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does the whole world change their clocks twice a year?
no. according to the pew research center, most countries don’t observe daylight time. roughly one-third do, most of which are in europe. the centre noted that parts of canada and the u.s., latin america and the caribbean are where daylight time is most common outside europe.
the research centre also noted that about half of all countries used to use daylight time, but several decided to stop during the past decade.
what does it do to us?
sleep experts have for years said that changing the time twice a year just isn’t worth it when you consider the negative effect on health.
many north americans struggle to sleep the recommended seven to nine hours per night and report sleeping poorly in general, so the effects of losing a collective hour of sleep are obvious in the days that follow.
“we find ourselves, mostly in the spring, with negative effects: irritability, drowsiness, memory and attention issues,” said véronique daneault, a research associate at the sacré-coeur de montréal hospital’s centre d’études avancées en médecine du sommeil. “we also have … increased rates of heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, work accidents.”
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what would stopping mean?
it depends whether the province would keep daylight time or standard time year round (this is a question in the consultations quebec is currently holding).
if “summer” time was maintained all year, here’s what the solstices would look like in quebec city:
- summer solstice (june 20): the sun would rise at 4:51 a.m. and set at 8:43 p.m.
- winter solstice (dec. 21): the sun would rise at 8:27 a.m. and set at 4:59 p.m.
if “winter” time was maintained all year:
- summer solstice: the sun would rise at 3:51 a.m. and set at 7:43 p.m.
- winter solstice: the sun would rise at 7:27 a.m. and set at 3:59 p.m.
daneault said the position of sleep scientists is to maintain standard (winter) time, which is better aligned with our circadian rhythms.
“we’re going to turn back clocks in a few days — the idea would be that this would be the last time change,” she said. “after, we’ll be on standard time and we’d stay on standard time.”
why is quebec talking about it now?
justice minister simon jolin-barrette simply referred to recent studies questioning the point of the time change when you consider the negative effects.
“the time has come to question the relevance and the future of the time change in quebec,” he told reporters last week, without committing to a timeline on making the change after consultations.
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jolin-barrette stressed quebec has full autonomy on the matter but would consider the positions of its neighbours. in 2020, ontario passed a bill to remain on daylight time permanently, but it was contingent on quebec and new york doing the same.
the u.s. senate passed legislation that would have made daylight time permanent in 2022, but it was sidetracked by debate over whether standard time would be the better option.
the canadian press contributed to this report.
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