Businesses raise concerns about B.C. moving to permanent daylight time

Business leaders in British Columbia say the province’s decision to move ahead with year-round Daylight Saving Time—announced today by David Eby—without confirmed coordination from neighbouring jurisdictions risks creating new uncertainty for companies operating across borders. 

The B.C. government said this upcoming Sunday (March 8) will be the last time most British Columbians change their clocks, with the province adopting year-round daylight time under a new designation, “Pacific Time.” The decision follows a 2019 public engagement report that found 93 percent of respondents preferred year-round daylight time; of those, three-quarters cited health and wellness concerns. 

In a statement released today, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade responded saying the unilateral decision risks adding friction for employers already navigating economic headwinds. President and CEO Bridgitte Anderson called the shift “an unwelcome distraction” that could undermine B.C.’s competitiveness. 

“The unilateral change in time is an unwelcome distraction that will make it more difficult to attract and retain businesses in British Columbia,” Anderson said. “The choice to change the time unliterally will create an additional headache for businesses operating on both sides of the border.” 

In 2019, under then-premier John Horgan, the province passed legislation enabling B.C. to adopt permanent Daylight Saving Time. At the time, the government pledged it would wait for neighbouring jurisdictions—California, Oregon and Washington (all in the same time zone as B.C.)—to make a similar move before implementing the change, in order to avoid economic disruption or competitive disadvantage. Now, the province has decided to quit playing the waiting game. 

According to the 2019 public consultation on the issue, support for permanent Daylight Saving Time was closely tied to regional alignment. Only 19 percent of Lower Mainland respondents said B.C. should proceed without neighbouring jurisdictions. Meanwhile, 56 percent said it was very important or important to align with other regions. Overall, British Columbians said by a three-to-one margin that alignment with neighbouring jurisdictions matters. 

The Board of Trade noted that businesses and the public generally support adopting year-round Daylight Saving Time—but only if key trading partners move in tandem.