Albertans will vote on making Daylight Saving Time permanent in conjunction with the 2021 Alberta Municipal Elections and the Alberta Senate Election on October 18, 2021.
Elections Alberta in a press release said the referendum question – Do you want Alberta to adopt year-round Daylight Saving Time, which is summer hours, eliminating the need to change our clocks twice a year? – will allow for a ‘yes’ vote or a ‘no’ vote.
Referendum Vote will also have a question on equalization payments – “Should section 36(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982 – Parliament and the government of Canada’s commitment to the principle of making equalization payments – be removed from the constitution?”
Canadian citizens who reside in Alberta and are at least 18 years of age or older on Election Day are eligible to vote in the referendum. As the vote is being conducted by local jurisdictions, electors must vote in the municipality or local jurisdiction in which they reside.
Alberta first asked for public feedback on Daylight Saving Time in November 2019 through an online survey.
Under the Daylight Saving Time Act, Albertans set their clocks forward one hour to observe daylight saving time from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday of November. This puts the province in the same time zone as the Northwest Territories and Montana year-round.
Saskatchewan does not change clocks in spring and fall.
In October of 2019, British Columbia introduced legislative amendments that will allow for a future move to permanent daylight saving time. The change will not take effect until B.C. can maintain alignment with Washington, Oregon, California and Yukon.
Though Ontario passed Bill 214, the Time Amendment Act, 2020, which would establish year-round observation of daylight saving time, the act does not come into effect until Quebec and New York follow suit.