Spring forward: Will Quebec follow B.C. in abolishing time change?

Alarm clock. (Source: Damian Apanasowicz/Pexels)

British Columbia announced on Monday that the province would be changing their clocks for the last time this month, but it seems Quebecers will not be following suit any time soon — even as the vast majority of people support the move.

In October 2024, Quebec Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette launched a public consultation to gather residents’ feedback on the biannual time change and whether it should be scrapped.

The results were overwhelming — after receiving more than 214,000 responses to an online questionnaire, 91 per cent said they wanted to abolish the time change entirely, and 72 per cent said Quebec should keep daylight (summer) time year-round.

Many cited the hours of daylight, the effects on physical and mental health and sleep quality as reasons for not changing the clocks twice a year.

The government says it has been studying the results since they were released on March 8, 2025.

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When asked what the province’s next steps are, a spokesperson for Jolin-Barrette told CTV News, “We have no announcement to make at this time.”

“We have taken note of Quebecers’ desire to end daylight saving time. Analyses following consultations with experts, particularly from the economic and health sectors, are ongoing,” wrote Julien Garon in an email on Monday.

He said the time change will go ahead as planned on March 8, when Quebecers will roll their clocks forward by one hour.

When the minister announced the public consultation in 2024, he said it was time to question the relevance of the switch, but didn’t commit to a timeline for any legislation and never committed to sticking to either summer or winter time.

Experts have suggested abolishing the time change, which has been linked to more traffic accidents, a higher risk of stroke and impacts on productivity.

Ontario passed legislation in 2020 to permanently remain on daylight time, but the bill was contingent on Quebec and New York state also making the move.

Jolin-Barrette has previously said Quebec has “full autonomy” on the issue and could make its own decision.

That’s exactly what B.C. did.

Former premier John Horgan had tabled legislation to end the time change, but the bill included provisions to maintain “alignment” with Washington, Oregon and California.

But on Monday, the current premier, David Eby, said B.C. is tired of waiting, while alluding to the province’s broader plans to move away from interdependence with the U.S. amid an ongoing trade war.

“We’re also going to make decisions right now where British Columbia decides what’s best for us,” Eby said.

If Quebec decides to stay on standard (winter) time, the change would mean that at the summer solstice in Montreal, usually around June 21, the sun would rise at 4 a.m. and set at 7:45 p.m.

A small region of eastern Quebec remains on Atlantic standard time year-round.

Last October, Orléans MP Marie-France Lalonde introduced a private member’s bill that calls on the federal government to work with provincial and territorial officials to formalize an agreement to end daylight time.

Bill C-248 has not yet reached second reading in the House of Commons.

With files from CTV News’ Lisa Steacy and The Canadian Press