Quebec Is 'Open' To Daylight Saving Time Lasting All Year, But There's A Catch
That would mean no more time changes and more sunlight in the evening.
Sunrise over downtown Montreal.
Quebec is "open" to making daylight saving time permanent, but Quebecers shouldn't expect an end to the dizzying biannual time changes any time soon.
Not only is it not a priority, but officials also want to align with neighbouring jurisdictions. That could mean a long slog through cross-border legislative processes — if enough lawmakers even decide they're willing to spend any time and energy on the proposal at all.
Why won't Quebec make daylight saving time permanent?
"The Quebec government is always open to analyzing this issue," Élisabeth Gosselin, spokesperson for Quebec's minister of justice, told MTL Blog in November 2022. "That said, our efforts are currently focused on fighting inflation, which is a priority for Quebecers."
It seems the question is the perennial victim of more-pressing issues. In February 2021, a government spokesperson told Narcity Québec that officials were first focusing on management of the then still-raging pandemic.
How could Quebec abolish the time change?
For Quebec, any consideration of a permanent move to DST would require extensive political mobilization and consensus.
Gosselin said the province would only take such action in tandem with Ontario. But Ontario also seems to be waiting on its neighbours. A 2020 bill in the Legislative Assembly stipulated that the province would only ditch the time change if Quebec and New York did it, as well.
Massachusetts might be in too. A 2017 study by its legislature said the move to permanent daylight saving time was possible, but only if a "majority of other Northeast states" and maybe even some eastern Canadian provinces followed.
So it seems we're at a stalemate.
When is daylight saving time in 2023?
In 2023, daylight saving time began on Sunday, March 12.
It will end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 5.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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