A picture of a clock at Heritage Park in Calgary, AB on May 29, 2023.
What is Daylight Saving Time? Why do we have it?
Ever wondered why we set our clocks one hour forward every spring and then wind back in the fall. It due to the practice of Daylight-Saving Time (DST). Canada along with some 70 other countries practice it. In Canada, most provinces observe DST, except for Yukon, most of Saskatchewan, and parts of British Columbia, Nunavut, Ontario (Atikokan), and Quebec (Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent).
History of DST
In 1895, a New Zealander entomologist and astronomer named George Hudson proposed a two-hour time shift every spring to the Wellington Philosophical Society, but his idea was not implemented until 1927.
In 1907, a British builder named William Willett campaigned for the “British Summer Time” to save energy. Although it was considered seriously by the Parliament, but it wasn’t implemented until 1916.
First Implementations
The first practical implementation of DST occurred in 1908 in Port Arthur, which is now a part of Thunder Bay in Ontario. This was implemented locally and not all over Canada at the time.
Talking about the first nationwide adoptions of DST, the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires were the first to implement DST countrywide on 30th April, 1916, during the World War I.
DST and World Wars
DST gained prominence during both World Wars; it was introduced as a fuel conservation effort.
During the World War II, the U.S. adopted year-round DST as an effort to reduce energy consumption, so, that people wouldn’t have to turn on the lights as early in the day that would eventually lead to saving energy.
A beautiful shot showcasing evening twilight after the sunset in Marlborough, Calgary. The picture was taken at 10:06 p.m.
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 (United States of America)
On April 13, 1966. The United States Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act to “promote the adoption and observance of uniform time within the standard time zones” prescribed by the Standard Time Act of 1918.
The act required states that observe DST to observe it at 2 a.m. local time on the last Sunday in April and end it at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October.
The act has been amended three times ever since it was enacted. The most recent amendment was made in 2005, as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
The White coloured areas show places in Canada where DST is not practiced anymore.
Daylight Saving Time in Canada
Canada became the first country ever to enact DST. It observed DST for the first time on July 1, 1908 in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay), Ontario. Although, at that time it wasn’t implemented all over Canada and was just limited to Port Arthur.
10 years later in 1918 during World War I, the Canadian government introduced DST to increase production. The regulation of DST was lapsed by the federal government after the First World War but resumed during the Second World War. Like the U.S., Canada used DST year-round during that period.
Since 1987, official time zones and DST have been regulated by the provincial, territorial, and municipal governments.
Currently, DST lasts in Canada for 34 weeks, about 238 days each year, which is about 65% of the whole year.
Saskatchewan follows the Central Standard Time year-round, and Yukon follows Pacific Daylight Time.
A bar graph showing Calgary, AB's daylight hours from starting of the year to end.
Impacts of DST
DST has several impacts whether they are health impacts, cultural impacts or economic impacts.
Health Impacts
According to John Hopkins University’s website, “The scientific evidence points to acute increases in adverse health consequences from changing the clocks, including in heart attack and stroke,” says sleep expert Adam Spira, PhD, MA, a professor in Mental Health.
The change is also associated with a heightened risk of mood disturbances and hospital admissions, as well as elevated production of inflammatory markers in response to stress. The potential for car crashes also spikes just after the spring forward, Spira says; a 2020 study found that the switch raises the risk of fatal traffic accidents by 6 per cent.
The change of sleep patterns, even by one hour, goes against a person’s natural circadian rhythms and has negative consequences for health. One study found that the risk of a heart attack increases 10% the Monday and Tuesday following the spring forward change.
Economic Impacts
According to the Lost-Hour Economic Index, moving the clocks forward has a total cost to the U.S. economy of $434 million nationally, factoring in health issues, decreased productivity, and workplace injuries.
Extra hour in summer gives consumers more time to stay out and spend money. However, this changes during winter, the spending drops when the extra hour gained is lost.
According to Money.com, the supermarkets lose six per cent of the daily retail per capita spending when the DST ends in fall.
A sunset captured in Punjab, India. DST is not practiced in India.
Some arguments against DST
DST was introduced a century ago to save energy and maximize the daylight hours. However, in current times the energy use remains high whatsoever with the increased use of computers, TVs, smartphones, lights and home appliances, the energy saved due to DST is negligible.
When Indiana introduced DST in 2006, a study done by National Bureau of Economic Research found that the measure actually increased energy use in the state.
Historically looking, farmers have tended to oppose DST, as it caused a disruption in agricultural schedules and animal routines.
DST causes changes in sleep patterns and has negative consequences on physical health. According to an epidemiology journal, it has also been linked to depression.
Some Pros of DST
Supporters of DST argue that the extra hour we gain during the spring forward provides an opportunity to spend more time outdoors. Extra daylight can be used for golfing, basketball, cricket, football and other games and for activities like running, jogging or for even a nice short walk after dinner.
Tourism industry benefits from brighter evenings, as people have more time to visit shops, cafes, restaurants, bars and local events.
Some studies show that DST helped reducing pedestrian fatalities by 13%.
According to an article by Jennifer L. Doleac and Nicholas J. Sanders, it has been found that there has been a seven per cent decrease in robberies after the spring forward.
A grocery store's parking lot in Northeast Calgary during twilight at 10:09 p.m.
A newcomer’s experience after encountering DST for the first time
In a video interview through teams, Jagjit Singh Sohal shared his thoughts on DST after experiencing it for the first time after he immigrated to Canada from India in 2022.