No more daylight saving: Northwest Territories to end seasonal time change

By Emma Tranter

The Northwest Territories will no longer change its clocks.

N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson announced Monday that the territory will move to end seasonal time changes and will adopt a year-round time standard instead.

“This practical, forward-looking decision reflects what many people across Canada have been calling for,” Simpson said in a news release Monday.

Simpson also said public engagement has shown a majority of N.W.T. residents “expressed support for ending seasonal time change and moving to a year-round time.”

The move follows an announcement from the Alberta government to end its seasonal time change, said Simpson.

Simpson has previously said the territory wouldn’t end seasonal time changes until Alberta does.

Julian Morse, the MLA for Frame Lake, said he is “very pleased” with the decision. He said he has been pushing to end the time change since before he was elected.

“It’s going to allow us to stay co-ordinated with Alberta, which I think is essential,” Morse said, mentioning that many N.W.T. residents travel to the province for medical, recreational or business reasons.

“If we were suddenly out of sync with Alberta for half the year, I think that would have been quite inconvenient for people,” he said.

Mikey McBryan, general manager of Buffalo Airways in Yellowknife, says from a logistical standpoint the N.W.T. is “heavily reliant” on what Alberta does.

“I really can’t see any negative things about getting rid of it,” he said, referring to the seasonal time change. “The things that make it simple is what we should do.”

The premier’s statement on Monday did not provide a timeline for when the change would happen in the territory but said it would “take careful co-ordination across jurisdictions.”

“Our government will begin the necessary planning to ensure a smooth transition here in the Northwest Territories. That includes developing a clear timeline, working with partners, and giving residents, businesses, and service providers the time they need to prepare,” Simpson said.

Yukon ended its seasonal time change in 2020, while B.C. announced it would do the same earlier this year. Saskatchewan has long followed a standard time year-round.

Related stories from around the North: 

Canada: Majority of survey respondents vote to end seasonal time change in N.W.T., CBC News