The Town of Golden, B.C., is now an outlier in the East Kootenay corridor after town council voted this week to change its clocks one last time this fall, moving to permanent Mountain Standard Time (MST). Golden will now align year-round with the majority of B.C. under the province’s new permanent Pacific Time zone, which it turns out is how B.C. plans to say MST from Nov. 1 onwards. Drivers who travel through the mountain parks would usually see the time on their phones switch time zones at Rogers Pass, but that will now happen in Golden. The rest of the East Kootenay region will stay one hour ahead, after a decision earlier this year to continue with Mountain Daylight Time, which is now called Alberta Time. The decision has divided the community over the decision. “It’s strictly an issue of safety, alignment with the rest of the Province of B.C., being on the Trans-Canada Highway,” said Golden Mayor Ron Oszust during Tuesday’s council meeting. “People cross that border (and) they expect, generally, to cross into a new time zone.” Relatively minor Oszust said the decision was a relatively minor adjustment. “This was not a straightforward decision,” he said in a statement. “Council believes that aligning with the majority of B.C. on the new Pacific Time will provide greater health and safety benefits with additional daylight in the morning hours and provide the greatest simplicity and consistency for residents, businesses, and visitors throughout the province.” One healthcare worker, and long-term Golden resident, says she does not agree. Janice LaRoy has lived in Golden since 1990 and believes seniors will have trouble adapting. “For me, it’s about traveling to our medical referral centre, which is up the East Kootenay and Cranbrook,” said LaRoy. “So to now be on a time change from that puts a lot of our vulnerable population on the road in the dark.” For one bike business, the time change is not expected to have much of an impact. “I think we’ll be able to bike as late as we bike in the summer, and I think it’s going to be better for skiing in the winter,” said Lolli Gagnon, owner of Moon Cycle in Golden. She said the winter will see the most impact, as tourists visiting the community, travelling from the west generally arrive late, and she knows why. “You’ve probably drove in from Revelstoke and they’re like, ‘How did you know?’ We’re like, ‘Because of the time zone. Do you guys know there’s a time change?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh no.’ And we’re like, ‘Okay, it’s now five (o’clock) and you were supposed to collect at four,’” she said. The town also surveyed residents between July 3 and Aug 3. 918 residents responded, with 55 percent supporting the current model of remaining with Alberta time, while 45 percent supported the switch. Overall, 89 percent of respondents supported scrapping the semi-annual time changes altogether. Golden will move to permanent MST on Nov. 1.
