Quebec government announces plans to abolish seasonal time changes

QUEBEC CITY – Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced Wednesday, October 28, that his Parti Québécois government intends to eliminate the province’s twice-yearly clock changes, potentially making this weekend’s return to standard time the last such adjustment for Quebec residents.

The government plans to introduce legislation ending the longstanding practice of switching between daylight saving time and standard time. However, officials have not yet determined which system Quebec would adopt permanently.

St-Pierre Plamondon said the seasonal changes create unnecessary disruptions, particularly for children and families, and pointed to research suggesting negative consequences for sleep and overall health.

The government intends to hold parliamentary consultations with experts before deciding whether to maintain daylight saving time or standard time throughout the year.

A public consultation conducted under the previous Coalition Avenir Québec government in 2024 found overwhelming support for eliminating seasonal time changes. Approximately 91 per cent of the 214,000 respondents favoured ending the practice, while 72 per cent preferred permanent daylight saving time.

The decision would bring Quebec closer to several other Canadian jurisdictions that have already abandoned seasonal clock changes or adopted plans to do so, including British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba.

Ontario has also passed legislation permitting permanent daylight saving time, although its implementation remains dependent on coordination with neighbouring jurisdictions, including Quebec and New York.

Quebec’s proposed reform could therefore have broader implications for businesses, transportation and interprovincial coordination.

For now, residents must still turn their clocks back one hour early Sunday, November 1. The government hopes the necessary legislative changes can be implemented before another seasonal adjustment becomes necessary.