Quebec's Daylight Saving Time Dilemma

Manitoba has ditched seasonal time changes, but Quebec is still weighing its options. The US is close to making the jump, too.

Manitoba just became the latest Canadian province to ditch the twice-a-year clock change. Premier Wab Kinew announced Wednesday that the province will stay on daylight saving time permanently, meaning Manitobans won't be turning their clocks back this November 1 like the rest of the country.

"We heard from Manitobans loud and clear, no more changing the clocks in Manitoba," Kinew said in a statement, adding that the seasonal shift disrupts sleep and routines, particularly for families with young kids.

The decision follows a public survey this past May that drew nearly 72,000 responses. Of those, 92% said they wanted to end seasonal time changes altogether, and 58% specifically preferred sticking with daylight time year-round over reverting to standard time.

Quebec, meanwhile, is still exactly where it's been for the past two years: thinking about it. Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette launched a public consultation on the issue back in October 2024, and the results, published the following spring, were about as clear as Manitoba's: 91% of the roughly 214,000 respondents wanted to stop changing the clocks altogether, and close to three-quarters said they'd rather stick with daylight time year-round than fall back to standard time.

Despite that, Quebec has repeatedly said it's still studying the results and hasn't committed to a timeline for any legislation. When clocks moved forward again this past March, the province confirmed nothing had changed on its end, and officials have pointed to coordination with Ontario and New York as one factor slowing things down.

For now, unless something changes in the next few weeks, Quebecers should plan on turning their clocks back as usual come November 1. The province's indecision has left many wondering when, or if, Quebec will finally make the switch to permanent daylight saving time.