PEOPLE in B.C. can now use Pacific Time or PCT when referencing the province’s year-round time standard.
“Improved overall health, reduced disruptions for families, simplified scheduling and an extra hour of evening light during the winter months are clear benefits of a year-round time zone,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Citizens’ Services, on Thursday. “In March, Premier David Eby announced B.C.’s last ‘spring forward’ time change to Pacific Time and the three-letter abbreviation PCT aligns with how other provinces abbreviate their time zones.”
In summer 2019, public engagement on time observance saw participation from 223,273 people, with 93% supporting adopting year-round Daylight Saving Time.
On November 1, 2026, when clocks would have been turned back an hour, no change will be made. B.C. previously observed Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and Pacific Standard Time (PST) when clocks were changed in March and November of each year.
Evidence suggests there are many benefits from adopting a year-round time standard, including:
* more consistency and fewer disruptions to sleep patterns and daily routines
* more usable light in the evenings in winter, allowing more leisure time, participation in outdoor activities and consumer activity
* reduced administrative burden for small businesses and service providers who may require less system reprogramming, scheduling shifts and operational resets every spring and fall
* more consistency for planning across transportation and technology services
Existing local mountain time arrangements in parts of northern and southeastern B.C. are not changed by the transition to PCT.
