Time for change? Province launches survey to review clock changes
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The provincial government has asked Manitobans to weigh in on whether to end the seasonal time change.
The survey, on EngageMB.ca, asks if people want to end the practice of adjusting their clocks in the spring and fall to coincide with daylight hours.
The questionnaire asks if Manitobans want to remain on daylight saving time, when clocks are set forward in March by one hour so the sun rises and sets later. It asks whether they’d prefer standard time, when clocks are set back an hour in November, so the sun rises and set earlier.
People out and about in St. Boniface Wednesday afternoon had mixed opinions.
“I hope that they would stop it,” lifelong Winnipegger Diana Street said. “Because everybody gets so screwed up when they do change the time, so to me, it’s no longer needed.”
She said the government survey is a waste of time and money. “They know exactly what people want,” she said. “It really makes no difference, anyways, because they’re going to do whatever they want to do.”
“I have bigger problems in my life; this is not one.”
Michelle Sager said she’s used to having the clocks turn back and spring forward, and likes it that way.
“I think that’s the way we’ve lived for the last ‘X’ amount of years, so I’m happy with it… I have bigger problems in my life — this is not one,” she said during a smoke break.
Gilles Landry, who has lived in Winnipeg for 83 years, said he’s not online and won’t take the survey.
“The time changes actually don’t bother me now that I’m retired,” the self-described night owl said. If there are health benefits to getting rid of the time change, then he’d be in favour of it. “It’s kind of a pain having to change time twice a year.”
“I’d say just try it.”
Garry Resteau, who was visiting Winnipeg from Regina said he likes the uniform approach embraced by Saskatchewan, which has stayed on standard time since 1966.
“I like it that our time stays the same and doesn’t switch,” said Resteau, who had some advice for Manitobans considering it. “I’d say just try it.”
Yukon, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Alberta use permanent daylight time.
The EngageMB survey points to a recent analysis by Manitoba Health that concluded eliminating the time change would be better for people’s health. It cites a study conducted by Stanford University in the U.S. that showed the health benefits of switching to standard time (earlier sunrises) are more significant. Daylight time (later sunsets) showed some benefits as compared to continuing with the time change.
“Which way should we go?” Premier Wab Kinew posted on social media Wednesday. “Do you want the earlier sunrises in winter with standard time or the later sunsets in summer with daylight time — or do you want to keep going back and forth?” he asked.
“There’s a lot to consider, from fewer strokes and car accidents to those beautiful summer nights.”
Kinew urged Manitobans to have their say by completing the survey. Earlier this year, the time change issue wasn’t on the premier’s priority list.
When Progressive Conservative MLA Ron Schuler introduced a private member’s bill in March to move Manitoba to permanent daylight time, Kinew responded by saying the government’s priorities are health care and affordability.
“There’s a lot to consider, from fewer strokes and car accidents to those beautiful summer nights.”
Schuler’s bill failed to gain any traction. Later in March, the premier announced he would query Manitobans about the time change.
“We live in Winnipeg. Winter defines a big chunk of our existence, so I think getting the daylight question right in winter time is pretty important,” Kinew said at the time.
Schuler, who is not seeking re-election, said Wednesday he’s glad the time-change survey is posted online, and he looks forward to seeing the results.
Brianna Solberg, legislative affairs director with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said the survey should include more questions.
She said it fails to explore the impact on employers, supply chains, transportation, cross-border trade, scheduling, payroll systems, or co-ordination with neighbouring jurisdictions.
“That is a significant gap, particularly for sectors like trucking, agriculture, manufacturing, retail, tourism, and customer service operations that regularly co-ordinate across provincial or international time zones,” Solberg said in an email.
“A patchwork approach between provinces and U.S. states can create avoidable complications for shipping windows, staffing schedules, supplier co-ordination, software systems, and customer-facing operations.”
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce will survey its members about the time-change issue and provide feedback to the province by July, president and CEO Chuck Davidson said Wednesday.
The time-change decisions of nearby provinces and states may be a consideration, he said.
“From a consistency standpoint, from a business standpoint, does it make sense that Manitoba is to follow suit?” Davidson asked.
Any change must be co-ordinated and implemented in a way that minimizes confusion and red tape, Solberg said.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
In 1997, Carol started at the Free Press working nights as a copy editor. In 2000, she jumped at a chance to return to reporting. In early 2020 — before a global pandemic was declared — she agreed to pitch in, temporarily, at the Free Press legislature bureau. She’s been there ever since.
Morgan Modjeski
Reporter
Signal
Morgan Modjeski is a news reporter and multimedia producer for the Free Press.
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