East Kootenays joining Pacific Time this fall, separating from Alberta

The flags of B.C., Canada and Alberta are seen in a file image.

People living in B.C.’s East Kootenays are set to join most of the province on Pacific Time later this year, following a close vote by the regional district’s board of directors.

That will separate residents from communities such as Cranbrook, Kimberley and Fernie from their nearby neighbours in Alberta, with whom they currently share Mountain Time.

The Regional District of East Kootenay said the change will take effect Nov. 1, after locals turn their clocks back an hour one final time.

The RDEK announced the transition as a move to “year-round Mountain Standard Time,” which happens to align with the permanent Pacific Daylight Time the vast majority of B.C. now observes following the province’s recent decision to end twice-annual time changes.

The district’s board approved the move in an 8-7 vote that followed “a lively discussion,” chair Rob Gay said in a statement.

“A range of perspectives were shared leading up to the vote,” said Gay.

“We looked at a few different options with regard to how to move forward and, in the end, voted in favour of adjusting our time in November to align with the rest of B.C., a decision that will be passed on to the province for clarification on how to implement,” said Gay.

When announcing the move to permanent Pacific Daylight Time, the provincial government noted that local officials will still “retain the power to determine what time zone they observe.”

By the same token, Gay said individual municipalities within the RDEK can still establish their own approach if they wish to do so.

Further north, those living in Golden and the Peace Region remain on Mountain Time, at least for now.

Golden participates in twice-annual time changes, while those in northeastern communities such as Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Tumbler Ridge observe Mountain Standard Time year-round.