Review of Bill 203, Alberta Standard Time Act

On April 3, 2017, the Legislative Assembly referred Bill 203, Alberta Standard Time Act, to the Standing Committee on Alberta's Economic Future. The Committee must report its observations, opinions, and recommendations with respect to the Bill back to the Assembly by October 4, 2017.

If passed, Bill 203 would repeal the Daylight Saving Time Act and require the observance of “Alberta Standard Time” (defined as six hours behind coordinated universal time) year round.

In Alberta, Mountain Daylight Time begins in March and ends in November. In March, Albertans move the clocks forward one hour to Mountain Daylight Time (spring forward). In November, Albertans move the clocks back one hour to Mountain Standard Time (fall back). Alberta is in the same time zone as the Northwest Territories and Montana all year round. The time difference between Alberta and British Columbia is always one hour. Since Saskatchewan does not change its clocks, the time is the same in Alberta and Saskatchewan between March and November. From November to March Alberta is one hour earlier than Saskatchewan.

Bill 203, Alberta Standard Time Act proposes to remove the time change in Alberta so that Alberta would be six hours behind co-ordinated universal time (UTC-6) all year round. If passed, the Act would come into force on November 2, 2018. This means that from November 2, 2018, Mountain Daylight Time would be used all year in Alberta, and Albertans would no longer turn back the clocks in the fall to Mountain Standard Time. The time in the Northwest Territories and Montana would then be the same as the time in Alberta between March and November. Between November and March the Northwest Territories and Montana would be one hour earlier than Alberta. There would be two hours difference between Alberta and British Columbia from November to March and one hour difference between Alberta and British Columbia from March to November. The time in Alberta would be the same as in Saskatchewan all year round.

To read Bill 203, Alberta Standard Time Act, please follow this link. For more information on the Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future, please follow this link.