The Clock Will Change Once More, and Then Perhaps Not

Twice a year, the people of Quebec perform a small ritual that has become so ordinary it is rarely questioned. They move their clocks forward in spring and back in autumn, adjusting their lives to a convention that dates back to another era. But conventions have a way of outliving their usefulness, and the Parti Québécois has decided that this one has. Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced this week that his government intends to abolish the time change, beginning with this weekend's final fall-back.

In a Facebook post, the premier addressed parents directly, acknowledging the weeks of disrupted sleep that accompany each time change. "This is probably the last year we'll be imposing such unnecessary constraints on ourselves," he wrote . The language was informal, almost conversational, but the commitment behind it is legislative. The PQ plans to table a bill in the coming months and to hear from experts in a parliamentary committee .

The party's position is grounded in a belief that the practice is counterproductive to health. Studies have suggested that the biannual shifts disrupt circadian rhythms, increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes in the days following, and create particular difficulties for children and their families . These are not trivial concerns. The time change is a small inconvenience for many, but for some it is a genuine health burden, and the PQ has decided that the burden is no longer worth bearing.

The decision is not without precedent. British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Saskatchewan have all moved or are moving toward eliminating the time change . Quebec would join a growing bloc of jurisdictions that have decided the old convention is not worth keeping. But the path is not entirely clear. The question of whether to adopt permanent daylight time, with its later sunrises and brighter evenings, or permanent standard time, with its earlier mornings, remains unresolved. The PQ has said it will consult experts on that choice .

There is also the matter of coordination. Ontario passed a law in 2020 that would end its time change, but only if Quebec and New York did the same . Quebec's move could create pressure for Ontario to follow, or it could create a patchwork of time zones that complicates travel and commerce. The PQ is aware of this, and the committee process is designed in part to address it.

The CAQ government that preceded the PQ had also considered the question. An online consultation in 2024 found that 90 percent of Quebecers who participated favored ditching the time change . But the CAQ did not act, citing the need for further consultation and concerns about aligning with neighboring states . The PQ has chosen to move forward, framing the issue as one of health and common sense rather than economic coordination.

For the parents who will spend the coming weeks managing their children's reactions to the final fall-back, the announcement is a small comfort. The clock will change one more time, and then, if the PQ's bill passes, it will not change again. The hour that is lost in spring and gained in autumn will no longer be lost or gained. It will simply be, and Quebecers will adjust to whatever time the province chooses.

Image note: The visual content in this article was created using artificial intelligence and does not depict the actual individuals or proceedings described.

Sources: CBC News, Toronto Sun, Radio-Canada, McGill University