Time in Canada

The time zones of the Americas, including Canada

Canada is divided into six time zones and ranks fifth among countries with respect to number of time zones, after Russia (eleven), the United States (nine), Australia (nine) and the United Kingdom (eight).

Times used (* indicates use of daylight saving time):

Zones

Pacific Standard Time

• Pacific Standard Time PST UTC−8 and Pacific Daylight Time PDT UTC−7
  • British Columbia (most of province)*,
  • Northwest Territories*, (rest of territory is on Mountain Standard Time)
    • Tungsten, Northwest Territories and the associated Cantung Mine (no DST)
  • Yukon* (Yukon Standard Time is no longer used)

Mountain Standard Time

• Mountain Standard Time MST UTC−7
  • Alberta*,
  • British Columbia
    • northeastern (no DST)
      • Most of Peace River Regional District (except Fort Ware), including Dawson Creek.
    • southeastern*
      • Regional District of East Kootenay,
      • Regional District of Central Kootenay east of the Kootenay River and parts east of Kootenay Lake that are south of and including Riondel (Creston doesn't observe DST), and
      • Columbia-Shuswap Regional District east of the Selkirk Mountains,
  • Northwest Territories*, except for Tungsten, Northwest Territories and the associated Cantung Mine (no DST)
  • Nunavut*
    • west of 102° West, and
    • all communities in the Kitikmeot Region,
  • Saskatchewan mostly observes central time, but:
    • Lloydminster and surrounding area* (the municipal government chose to unify the entire city with Alberta's time zone)

Central Standard Time

• Central Standard Time CST UTC−6
  • Manitoba*,
  • Nunavut
    • between 85° West and 102° West (except western Southampton Island)* (Resolute, Repulse Bay, Baker Lake, west shore of Hudson Bay),
  • Ontario*
    • Northwestern Ontario west of 90° West (except Atikokan area, New Osnaburgh and Pickle Lake area, and Shebandowan and Upsala area), and Big Trout Lake area east of 90° West
  • Saskatchewan (see Time in Saskatchewan)
    • Most of Saskatchewan does not observe daylight savings time.
    • Creighton and Denare Beach area observes DST unofficially.^{[citation needed]} The Lloydminster area observes Mountain Time with DST, officially.

Eastern Standard Time

• Eastern Standard Time EST UTC−5, EDT UTC−4
  • Nunavut
    • east of 85° West* (Sanikiluaq, Cape Dorset, Hall Beach, Igloolik, Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord and all points east), and
    • entire Southampton Island (no DST) (Coral Harbour),
  • Ontario
    • east of 90° West (except Big Trout Lake area)*, plus
    • Atikokan area (no DST),
    • New Osnaburgh and Pickle Lake area (no DST), and
    • Shebandowan and Upsala area* west of 90° West.
  • Quebec (most of province)*

Atlantic Standard Time

• Atlantic Standard Time AST UTC−4, ADT UTC−3
  • Labrador (all but southeastern tip)*,
  • New Brunswick*,
  • Nova Scotia*,
  • Prince Edward Island*,
  • Quebec (east of the Natashquan River) (NAO)
  • Quebec (east of the 63°W longitude) (CIA)

Newfoundland Standard Time

• Newfoundland Standard Time NST UTC−3:30, daylight saving time UTC−2:30
  • Labrador (southeastern)*,
  • Newfoundland*

Daylight saving time

Daylight saving time is observed in all provinces except Saskatchewan. Under the Canadian Constitution, laws related to timekeeping are a purely provincial matter whereas in the United States the Congress is able to enact laws related to timekeeping at the national level. In practice, since the late 1960s DST across Canada been closely or completely synchronized with its observance in the United States to promote consistent economic and social interaction. When the United States extended DST in 1987 to the first Sunday in April, all Canadian provinces followed suit to mimic the change.

The latest United States change (Energy Policy Act of 2005), adding parts of March and November starting in 2007, was adopted by the various provinces and territories on the following dates:

• Ontario, Manitoba - October 20, 2005
• Quebec - December 5, 2005
• Prince Edward Island - December 6, 2005
• New Brunswick - December 23, 2005
• Alberta - February 2, 2006
• Northwest Territories - March 4, 2006
• British Columbia - March 31, 2006
• Nova Scotia - April 25, 2006
• Yukon - July 14, 2006
• Newfoundland - November 20, 2006, but officially announced on January 18, 2007
• Nunavut - February 19, 2007^[1]
• Saskatchewan - no official action taken, as most of the province does not change their clocks back in winter, but the small parts that have historically observed DST near Alberta and Manitoba are presumed to be authorized to have the start and end dates the same as Alberta and Manitoba.^{[citation needed]}

TZ zones

1. America/St_Johns Newfoundland Island
2. America/Halifax Atlantic Time - Nova Scotia (most places), W Labrador, E Quebec & PEI
3. America/Glace_Bay Atlantic Time - Nova Scotia - places that did not observe DST 1966-1971
4. America/Moncton Atlantic Time - New Brunswick
5. America/Goose_Bay Atlantic Time - E Labrador
6. America/Montreal Eastern Time - Quebec - most locations
7. America/Toronto Eastern Time - Ontario - most locations
8. America/Nipigon Eastern Time - Ontario & Quebec - places that did not observe DST 1967-1973
9. America/Thunder_Bay Eastern Time - Thunder Bay, Ontario
10. America/Pangnirtung Eastern Time - Pangnirtung, Nunavut
11. America/Iqaluit Eastern Time - east Nunavut
12. America/Coral_Harbour Eastern Standard Time - Southampton Island
13. America/Rankin_Inlet Central Time - central Nunavut
14. America/Winnipeg Central Time - Manitoba & west Ontario
15. America/Rainy_River Central Time - Rainy River & Fort Frances, Ontario
16. America/Cambridge_Bay Central Time - west Nunavut
17. America/Regina Central Standard Time - Saskatchewan - most locations
18. America/Swift_Current Central Standard Time - Saskatchewan - midwest
19. America/Edmonton Mountain Time - Alberta, east British Columbia & west Saskatchewan
20. America/Yellowknife Mountain Time - central Northwest Territories
21. America/Inuvik Mountain Time - west Northwest Territories
22. America/Dawson_Creek Mountain Standard Time - Dawson Creek & Fort Saint John, British Columbia
23. America/Vancouver Pacific Time - west British Columbia
24. America/Whitehorse Pacific Time - south Yukon
25. America/Dawson Pacific Time - north Yukon

See also

• List of time zones
• Newfoundland's Daylight Saving Act of 1917
• British Columbia time referendum, 1972

External links

• http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/Magazine/SO98/geomap.asp
• Saskatchewan time system (156KB pdf file)
• Canadian time zone maps
• Official Times across Canada

Official references regarding 2007 daylight changes

• http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2006AG0014-000330.htm
• http://www.justice.gov.ab.ca/law/default.aspx?id=4318
• http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2005/11/2005-11-02-06.html (appoval,new time act)
• http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/20051020-dst.asp
• http://www.assnat.qc.ca/eng/37legislature2/Projets-loi/Publics/06-a002.htm
• http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/news/pre/2005e1737pr.htm
• http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20060425004
• http://assembly.pe.ca/bills/pdf_chapter/62/3/chapter-41.pdf
• http://www.gov.yk.ca/news/2006/files/06-164.pdf
• http://www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/bills/Bill0634.htm

Quasi-Official references

• (Northwest Territories) http://www.psepc.gc.ca/dob/dob06-137-en.asp

References

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