time in Canada

{{Main|National Research Council Time Signal}}

File:In front of National Research Council Canada Laboratories.JPG]]

The National Research Council (NRC) maintains Canada's official time through the use of atomic clocks.{{cite web|title=NRC time services|url=https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/nrc-time-services|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720195108/https://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/services/time/|archive-date=20 July 2018|access-date=20 July 2018|website=National Research Council}} The official time is specified in legislation passed by the individual provinces. In Quebec it is based on coordinated universal time.{{cite web|url=http://canlii.ca/t/52mxx|last=National Assembly|title=Legal Time Act 2006|date=1 January 2007|access-date=21 September 2020}} The other provinces use mean solar time.{{cite web|url=http://www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/statutes/s23.htm|last=Queen's Printer, St John's|title=Standard Time Act RSNL 1990|date=2012|access-date=21 September 2020}} By §2(1) "Time in the province shall be reckoned as 3 1/2 hours later [sic] than Greenwich mean solar time."{{cite web|url=http://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90t09|last=Queen's Printer for Ontario|title=Time Act, R.S.O. 1990|date=31 December 1990|access-date=21 September 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.canlii.org/en/sk/laws/stat/rss-1978-c-t-14/latest/part-1/rss-1978-c-t-14-part-1.pdf|last=The Queen's Printer|title=The Time Act 1978|date=26 February 1978|access-date=21 September 2020}} The NRC provides both coordinated universal time and mean solar time in its signals.{{cite web|url=http://time5.nrc.ca/timefreq/bulletin_tf-b.html|last=National Research Council|title=DUT1 announcement|date=28 July 2020|access-date=21 September 2020}} It makes time servers available for direct synchronization with computers. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation aired a daily time signal, the National Research Council Time Signal, beginning November 5, 1939.{{cite news |last1=Bartlett |first1=Geoff |title='The beginning of the long dash' indicates 75 years of official time on CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/the-beginning-of-the-long-dash-indicates-75-years-of-official-time-on-cbc-1.2823599 |website=CBC News |access-date=20 July 2018 |date=5 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105210520/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/the-beginning-of-the-long-dash-indicates-75-years-of-official-time-on-cbc-1.2823599 |archive-date=5 November 2019 |url-status=live}} The signal was discontinued on October 15, 2023.{{Cite news |last=Taekema |first=Dan |date=October 10, 2023 |title=The end of the long dash: CBC stops broadcasting official time signal |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/cbc-stops-broadcasting-national-research-council-long-dash-time-signal-1.6988903 |access-date=November 27, 2023}}

File:Canadian National timetable 1975-04-27.jpg timetable from 1975 using the 24-hour clock]]

{{Main|Date and time notation in Canada#Time}}

The Government of Canada recommends use of the 24-hour clock (e.g. {{time|df=24|timeonly=yes |hide-refresh=yes |hide-tz=yes}}), which is widely used in contexts such as transportation schedules, parking meters, and data transmission.{{cite journal |last1=Collishaw |first1=Barbara |title=FAQs on Writing the Time of Day |journal=Terminology Update |date=2002 |volume=35 |issue=3 |page=11 |url=https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/favart/index-eng.html?lang=eng&lettr=indx_titls&page=9qo3G9wQtvTo.html |access-date=2018-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714013012/http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/favart/index-eng.html?lang=eng&lettr=indx_titls&page=9qo3G9wQtvTo.html |archive-date=2018-07-14 |url-status=live}} Speakers of Canadian French predominantly use this system, but most Canadian English speakers use the 12-hour clock in everyday speech (e.g. {{time|df=12 |hide-refresh=yes |hide-tz=yes}}), even when reading from a 24-hour display, similar to the use of the 24-hour clock in the United Kingdom.

Pacific Standard Time (PST) UTC−08:00 and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) UTC−07:00:

• British Columbia (most of the province)
• Northwest Territories, the community of Tungsten{{efn|Includes the associated Cantung Mine and Tungsten (Cantung) Airport{{cite web |url=https://www.yukon-news.com/business/inside-cantung-the-mine-that-keeps-on-giving/ |title=Inside Cantung, the mine that keeps on giving |work=Yukon News |date=March 8, 2013 |access-date=June 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016180909/https://www.yukon-news.com/business/inside-cantung-the-mine-that-keeps-on-giving/ |archive-date=October 16, 2014 |url-status=live}}}}

Mountain Standard Time (MST) UTC−07:00 and Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) UTC−06:00:

• Alberta
• British Columbia, southeastern
• Columbia-Shuswap Regional District east of the Selkirk Mountains
• Regional District of East Kootenay
• Regional District of Central Kootenay east of the Kootenay River and some parts east of Kootenay Lake that are south of and including Riondel (but not Creston, which observes MST year-round, and Kootenay Bay)
• Northwest Territories (NWT), except for Tungsten (see above), two fishing lodges in the southeast and a mine site in the southwest{{efn|Prairie Creek Airport, operated by Canadian Zinc, in southwest NWT, is shown as observing PST/PDT. North of Sixty Fishing Camps (Obre Lake/North of Sixty Airport) and Kasba Lake Lodge (Kasba Lake Airport) are shown as operating on CST/CDT.}}
• Nunavut ({{crossreference|see Time in Nunavut}})
• west of 102° West, and
• all communities in the Kitikmeot Region
• Saskatchewan ({{crossreference|see Time in Saskatchewan}})
• Lloydminster and surrounding area (the municipal government chose to unify the entire city with Alberta's time zone)

Mountain Standard Time (MST) UTC−07:00 year-round:

• Yukon
• British Columbia, northeastern
• Northern Rockies Regional Municipality{{cite web|url=http://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/fort-nelson-canada-time-zone.html |last=Buckle |first=Anne |title=New Time Zone in Fort Nelson |website=Time and Date |date=21 September 2015 |access-date=21 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050955/http://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/fort-nelson-canada-time-zone.html|archive-date=2016-03-04 }}
• most of Peace River Regional District (except Fort Ware), including Dawson Creek
• Taku River Tlingit First Nation{{cite news |last1=Kawaja |first1=Cheryl |title=What time is it in Atlin, B.C.? It depends who you ask |url=https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7417317 |access-date=23 December 2024 |publisher=CBC |date=23 December 2024}}
• Atlin, an unincorporated community, is in a state of time flux, with many residents and the cell tower applying Mountain Standard Time year round, but RCMP and BC Services following Pacific Time{{cite news |last1=Kawaja |first1=Cheryl |title=What time is it in Atlin, B.C.? It depends who you ask |url=https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7417317 |access-date=23 December 2024 |publisher=CBC |date=23 December 2024}}
• British Columbia, southeastern
• Creston

Central Standard Time (CST) UTC−06:00 and Central Daylight Time CDT UTC−05:00:

• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Creighton (unofficial)
• Nunavut
• between 85° West and 102° West, and
• Resolute plus all communities in the Kivalliq Region and the west shore of Hudson Bay except Southampton Island (Coral Harbour)
• Ontario, northwestern
• west of 90° West (except the Atikokan, New Osnaburgh and Pickle Lake areas, and the Shebandowan and Upsala areas)
• east of 90° West: Big Trout Lake area

Central Standard Time (CST) UTC−06:00 year-round:

• Saskatchewan (most of the province) (see Lloydminster, and Creighton, above)

Eastern Standard Time (EST) UTC−05:00 and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) UTC−04:00:

• Nunavut
• east of 85° West, and
• all communities in the Qikiqtaaluk Region except Resolute
• Ontario
• east of 90° West (except the Big Trout Lake area), plus
• west of 90° West: Shebandowan and Upsala areas
• Quebec (most of province)
• Areas of Labrador adjacent to Schefferville (in Quebec but very close to the Labrador border) observe EST and DST unofficially

Eastern Standard Time (EST) UTC−05:00 year-round:

• Nunavut
• entire Southampton Island (Coral Harbour)
• Ontario
• west of 90° West: Atikokan area and New Osnaburgh / Pickle Lake area

Atlantic Standard Time (AST) UTC−04:00 and Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT) UTC−03:00:

• Labrador (all but the southeastern tip)
• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec (Magdalen Islands and Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation)

Atlantic Standard Time (AST) UTC−04:00 year-round:

• Quebec (east of the Natashquan River)[http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/english/publications/generale/temps-situation-a.htm Legal time in Québec] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211041006/http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/english/publications/generale/temps-situation-a.htm |date=2011-12-11 }}, Ministry of Justice of Quebec, April 20, 2015.

Newfoundland Standard Time (NST) UTC−03:30 and Newfoundland Daylight Time (NDT) UTC−02:30:

• Labrador (southeastern)
• Newfoundland

• The Yukon Time Zone (UTC−09:00) covered most of Yukon from 1900 until 1966. In 1973, the last portions of Yukon switched to Pacific Time, leaving UTC−09:00 unused in Canada.
• In 1988, Newfoundland observed "double daylight saving time" from April 3 until October 30, meaning that the time was set ahead by 2 hours.{{cite news |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=2020-02-02 |date=1988-06-21 |title=Daylight Almost Until Midnight: Newfoundland Tries out Double Daylight-Saving Time |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-06-21-0050050237-story.html |first=Peter |last=Benesh}} All of Newfoundland and southern Labrador, which observes UTC−03:30 as its standard time zone, observed UTC−01:30.Order re: Newfoundland Double Daylight Savings Time, 1988. O.C. 1404/87. Newfoundland Gazette, 1988-02-19, page 67. This only happened in 1988 and the province now only adjusts its time by one hour for daylight saving time.

{{main|Daylight saving time in Canada}}

Four Canadian cities, by local ordinance, observed daylight saving time in 1916. Brandon, Manitoba, adopted it on April 17. It was followed by Winnipeg on April 23, Halifax on April 30, and Hamilton, Ontario, on June 4.Doris Chase Doane, Time Changes in Canada and Mexico, 2nd edition, 1972. Port Arthur, Ontario, was the first place in the world to introduce it, on July 1, 1908.

Daylight saving time is currently observed in nine of ten provinces and two of three territories, with exceptions in several provinces and Nunavut. Most of the province of Saskatchewan, despite geographically being in the Mountain Time Zone, observes year-round CST. In 2020, the territory of Yukon abandoned seasonal time change and moved to permanently observing MST year-round.{{Cite web|url=https://yukon.ca/en/news/yukon-end-seasonal-time-change|last=Government of Yukon|title=Yukon to end seasonal time change|date=March 4, 2020|access-date=September 23, 2020}} Under the Constitution of Canada, laws related to timekeeping are a purely provincial matter. In practice, since the late 1960s DST across Canada has been closely or completely synchronized with its observance in the United States to promote consistent economic and social interaction. When the United States extended DST in 1987 to the first Sunday in April, all DST-observing Canadian provinces followed suit to mimic the change.

In 2019, the legislature of British Columbia began the process of eliminating the practice of observing daylight saving time in the province. On October 31, 2019, the government introduced Bill 40 in the legislature, which would define "Pacific Time" as "7 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)".{{cite web |url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/content/data%20-%20ldp/pages/41st4th/1st_read/gov40-1.htm |title=Bill 40 – 2019: Interpretation Amendment Act, 2019 |publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |year=2019 |access-date=2019-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103234634/https://www.leg.bc.ca/content/data%2520-%2520ldp/pages/41st4th/1st_read/gov40-1.htm |archive-date=2019-11-03 |url-status=live}} In a press release, the provincial government stated an intention to maintain alignment of clock time with Washington, Oregon, California, and Yukon.{{cite press release |url=https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2017-2021/2019PREM0118-002084.pdf |title=Interpretation amendment act sets stage for year-round daylight time |date=2019-10-31 |access-date=2019-11-03 |publisher=British Columbia Office of the Premier / Ministry of Attorney General |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103234636/https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2017-2021/2019PREM0118-002084.pdf |archive-date=2019-11-03 |url-status=live}} The move follows a consultation earlier in 2019, in which the province received over 223,000 responses, 93% of which said they would prefer year-round DST as compared to the status quo of changing the clocks twice a year.{{cite news |newspaper=Vancouver Sun |first=Cheryl |last=Chan |date=2019-09-11 |access-date=2019-11-03 |title=B.C. survey shows overwhelming support for permanent Daylight Saving Time |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-survey-shows-overwhelming-support-for-permanent-daylight-time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103234635/https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-survey-shows-overwhelming-support-for-permanent-daylight-time |archive-date=2019-11-03 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/502/2019/09/Daylight-Saving-Time-Final-Report.pdf |title=Daylight Saving Time Public Consultation: Final Report |year=2019 |access-date=2019-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911012641/https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/502/2019/09/Daylight-Saving-Time-Final-Report.pdf |archive-date=2019-09-11 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |website=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/daylight-savings-poll-engagement-1.5200828 |title=B.C.'s daylight saving survey gets more public engagement than marijuana regulation |date=2019-07-05 |access-date=2019-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707082907/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/daylight-savings-poll-engagement-1.5200828 |archive-date=2019-07-07 |url-status=live}} The premier of British Columbia discussed the issue with Yukon premier Sandy Silver, who said in October that he needs more consultation with Yukon stakeholders, and with Alberta and Alaska.{{cite news |url=https://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/b-c-premier-meets-with-silver-grand-chief |title=B.C. premier meets with Silver, grand chief |first=Gabrielle |last=Plonka |date=2019-10-01 |access-date=2019-11-03 |newspaper=Whitehorse Daily Star |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102233348/https://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/b-c-premier-meets-with-silver-grand-chief |archive-date=2019-11-02 |url-status=live}}

The latest United States change (Energy Policy Act of 2005) to daylight saving time, adding parts of March and November to when daylight saving time is observed, which began in 2007 was adopted by the various provinces and territories on the following dates:

• Ontario{{Cite web |url=http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90t09_e.htm |title=Time Act |access-date=2013-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222804/http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90t09_e.htm |archive-date=2013-12-02 |url-status=live}} and Manitoba[https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2005/11/2005-11-02-06.html Province Introduces Legislation that Would Extend Daylight Saving Time in Manitoba] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723031659/http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2005/11/2005-11-02-06.html |date=2016-07-23 }} ([http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/2005/c05305e.php#2 The Official Time Amendment Act] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060528042003/http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/2005/c05305e.php#2 |date=2006-05-28 }},[http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/o030e.php The Official Time Act] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051109231222/http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/o030e.php |date=2005-11-09 }}) – October 20, 2005
• Quebec – December 5, 2005{{Cite web |url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/travaux-parlementaires/projets-loi/projet-loi-2-37-2.html |title=Bill n°2 : Legal Time Act |access-date=2012-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120162451/http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/travaux-parlementaires/projets-loi/projet-loi-2-37-2.html |archive-date=2012-11-20 |url-status=live}}
• Prince Edward Island – December 6, 2005{{Cite web |url=http://assembly.pe.ca/bills/pdf_chapter/62/3/chapter-41.pdf |title=An Act to Amend the Time Uniformity Act |access-date=2006-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823094715/http://assembly.pe.ca/bills/pdf_chapter/62/3/chapter-41.pdf |archive-date=2006-08-23}}
• New Brunswick – December 23, 2005{{Cite web |url=http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/news/pre/2005e1737pr.htm |title=Changes to daylight saving time in New Brunswick in 2007 (05/12/23) |access-date=2006-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901215702/http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/news/pre/2005e1737pr.htm |archive-date=2006-09-01 |url-status=live}}
• Alberta – February 2, 2006{{Cite press release |title=Alberta sees the light with a timely announcement |url=https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=193862BFE321E-A3D2-C519-F34B3EE936DA55E2}}
• Northwest Territories – March 4, 2006[http://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/PDF/REGS/INTERPRETATION/Daylight_Sav_Time.pdf Daylight Saving Time Regulations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419010917/http://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/PDF/REGS/INTERPRETATION/Daylight_Sav_Time.pdf |date=2014-04-19 }}
• British Columbia – March 31, 2006{{Cite web |url=http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2006AG0014-000330.htm |title=New Daylight Saving Time Takes Effect in 2007 |access-date=2006-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411063909/http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2006AG0014-000330.htm |archive-date=2013-04-11}}
• Nova Scotia – April 25, 2006{{Cite web |url=https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20060425004 |title=Nova Scotia to Change Daylight Saving Time |access-date=2017-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923121312/https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20060425004 |archive-date=2017-09-23 |url-status=live}}
• Yukon – July 14, 2006.[http://www.gov.yk.ca/news/2006/06-164.html Yukon To Adopt Extended Daylight Saving Time Starting March 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009095855/http://www.gov.yk.ca/news/2006/06-164.html |date=2013-10-09 }} Year-round MST as of March 8, 2020.
• Newfoundland and Labrador – November 20, 2006, but officially announced on January 18, 2007{{Cite web |url=http://assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/statutes/s23.htm |title=An Act Respecting Standard Time and Daylight Time in the Province |access-date=2013-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020133541/http://www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/statutes/s23.htm |archive-date=2012-10-20 |url-status=live}}
• Nunavut – February 19, 2007{{Cite web |url=http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/2007-02/feb19_07tm.html |title=Nunavut News/North "Nunavut to follow new seasonal time standard" |access-date=2013-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235847/http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/2007-02/feb19_07tm.html |archive-date=2013-12-02}}
• Saskatchewan – No official action was taken, as almost all of the province remains on CST year-round. However, the few places in the province that do observe daylight saving (Lloydminster and the surrounding area, which straddles the Alberta border and observes Alberta's Mountain Time{{Snd}}and Creighton, which observes daylight saving on an unofficial basis due to its proximity to the border with Manitoba) follow the aforementioned March–November schedule just like the other provinces and territories.

Data for Canada from zone.tab of the IANA time zone database. Columns marked with * are the columns from zone.tab itself.

{{sticky header}}

• Lists of time zones
• Newfoundland's Daylight Saving Act of 1917
• 1972 British Columbia time plebiscite
• Effects of time zones on North American broadcasting
• National Research Council Time Signal
• Date and time notation in Canada

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/time-zones-daylight-saving-time Time zones and daylight saving time]
• [https://nrc.canada.ca/en/web-clock/ Official Times across Canada]

{{Canada topic|Time in}}

{{Americas topic|Time in}}

Category:Geography of Canada