Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides at a press conference in Cochrane on March 5, 2026. (Image Credit: Government of Alberta)

By Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press

About Time?

Alberta’s premier consulting on scrapping clock changes, prefers more light at night

Mar 5, 2026 | 1:24 PM

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government will consult on doing away with twice-a-year clock changes.

And she says if a switch is made, she would prefer going to permanent daylight time.

Smith says she believes if you asked people if they want to stop changing their clocks, the question would likely get overwhelming support.

Her comments come as British Columbians prepare to spring their timepieces forward this Sunday for one final time as that province adopts year-round daylight time.

Smith has said with Saskatchewan’s use of year-round central standard time, B.C.’s shift raises questions about whether Alberta should aim for consistency across the western provinces.

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Almost five years ago, a referendum question was put to Albertans to keep daylight time year-round, but it failed by the narrowest of margins 50.2 per cent to 49.8 per cent.

Smith says she likes more sunlight at night and believes most others do, too.

“So going to standard 12 months of the year would be a big adjustment for people,” she said at an unrelated announcement in Cochrane Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.