Legislation Underway
Is B.C. Getting Daylight Saving Time All Year?
Every spring most mountain bikers rejoice when the clock springs ahead and we have an extra hour of post-work or school ride time. Call it MTB Xmas.. It turns out we aren't the only ones who feel strongly about afternoon sun. The Provincial Government conducted what it's calling the most successful public engagement process ever, asking the public if we'd prefer to keep DST from January to December. The response from 223,000 citizens was an overwhelming yes, with 93% of people voting for more play light.
The Premier, John Horgan, promised to table legislation quickly based on the response and, in a move that will shock anyone who follows politics, he has delivered. The Legislature introduced the measure on October 31st. While that vote is likely to pass, it's not a done deal. Because of B.C.'s business dealings with Washington, Oregon and California, the change is also contingent upon those jurisdictions getting on board. Washington and Oregon are keen as well, and lawmakers have already voted for the change, and California looked poised to do the same. In the Golden State the bill has stalled because of uncertainty about whether standard or DST should be the way forward. This is expected to be cleared up in January, according to California Assemblymember Kanssen Chu who sponsored the original bill. Even then this would require Congressional approval, and right now Congress is all balled up in some sort of hearing about what do with all of 'em peaches.
It does seem likely that DST will eventually win in California, as it has in the rest of Cascadia, but there are some folks who aren't happy. It turns out there are mountain bikers who only ride in the morning and would like to be basking in the sun at that time. Sleep researchers also suggest that permanent standard time would be better for our circadian rhythms, while golf and ski resort operators are concerned they won't be able to open early enough in the winter to cater to their clientele. Those who sell bike lights and reflectors might be a little peeved as well.
According to the calculator on timeanddate.com the earliest sunsets of the year here on the North Shore occur from December 11th to 14th, at 4:13 pm (16:13)* which is entirely uncivilized. Pushing that back to 5:13 means the chance of riding a loop in the afternoon without getting benighted are vastly improved.
*The shortest day is actually Dec. 21st but the sunset is slightly later on that date
Can you see any downsides to year round daylight saving time (you traitor!)? If so please share them with us below (and then keep them bottled up from this day forward!).
Comments
flatch
4 years, 4 months ago
I for one hope we keep standard time. I work outside (road construction) and cringe at the idea of it being dark out till after 9am in the depth of winter. I hope more serious thought would go into this. Perhaps a proper referendum. It’s easier for a place like California to keep Dls as they are closer to the equator and already get more daylight.
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IslandLife
4 years, 4 months ago
It will be interesting when we switch. Check the link below... it's a Wikipedia page that shows which countries around the world observe DST or Standard... and how many times & when they've switched. It's amazing how many countries have gone back and more multiple times!!
I think Russia might be a good example for us... they observed DST in 1917–1919, 1921 (some areas) and 1981–2010. In 2011–2014, they used permanent DST. But in 2014, they left permanent DST and switched to permanent standard time.
Another good example and a very interesting one is the UK... they have observed DST (commonly referred to as British Summer Time (BST)) since 1916 and that's what they currently do. But they had Year-round Summer Time (BST) + a Double Summer Time (BDST) in 1940–1945. And then Two-stage Double Summer Time (BDST) in 1947 and then observed Year-round Summer Time (BST) 1968–1971.... but again are back to having a DST or BST during the summer and standard time during the winter.
Even the US... observed year-round DST in 1942–1945, and 1974–1975.
Some countries have switched back and forth from observing a time change a huge numbers of times... Turkey = 9 times, Portugal = 7 times, Nicaragua = 5 times, Uruguay = 8 times, etc, etc... although I have a feeling it probably becomes a political issue and for some of these countries the switch might depend on which party is elected. I could easily see that happening here... the NDP brings it in... there's a groundswell of liberals who start saying "that was stupid, vote Liberal and we'll switch it back!" A couple people I work with who are liberal supporters have already been saying things like "why is the NDP bothering with something like this when there are far more important items to be working on" haha.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_by_country
On a personal note, I voted for the switch because I don't think we should be changing time twice a year, it really fucks with people. When I was young and didn't have as many responsibilities I would have loved the extra time in the afternoon for biking, skateboarding and hiking back country snowboarding. But, like you mentioned... with a young family these days, my weekly Sunday morning, dirt-church, dawn patrol ride is generally the only ride I get through the late fall/winter/early spring and this change could make that more difficult...
But.. this year we're getting back on the ski hill hard, which means I probably won't be riding much this winter anyway which makes the issue kinda mute for me. I also don't see the issue with the si resorts.. they can just open and close later... which would actually be great, we can all sleep in a little more!
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Reed Holden
4 years, 4 months ago
Pleeeaaasssseee pass playlight savings 365
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mike
4 years, 4 months ago
set it in the middle and be done with it.
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Vik Banerjee
4 years, 4 months ago
I hope it happens. Regardless of which way it goes not everyone will be happy.
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Pnwpedal
4 years, 4 months ago
Here in Washington we're eager for year round... SOMETHING. Anything. Just end the frivolous time changes twice a year which are proven to have negative health and safety repercussions.
Also... The peaches joke made me laugh out loud. It's a sad time for US politics.
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jrawk
4 years, 4 months ago
I am a skier and not a morning person. If whistler was open 930-4 instead of 830-3 I think it would be brilliant! On a weekend pow day I could sleep in till 530 instead of 430!
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grambo
4 years, 4 months ago
Hah, I'm with you except I fear more people will be willing to get up there and line-up for upload on pow days if they can show up at 8:30 instead of 7:30 to get in line.
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JVP
4 years, 4 months ago
Bring it on! I don’t know very many people who like the dark-shift that happens tonight.
But Cam, hooooo boy: “DST will eventually win in California, as it has in the rest of Cascadia”
Cali is NOT Cascadia. Screw them, they’re... different. Spray tans, injected lips and all that. Cascadia is us mossy folks in BC, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and we’ll claim western Montana. Stand united!
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Cam McRae
4 years, 4 months ago
LOL! Not only that, Northern California (not the Bay area, everything further north which is generally full Trumpville) would like to become The State of Jefferson with southern Oregon. They are a different breed entirely for the most part.
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Tadpoledancer
4 years, 4 months ago
God I wish we could do the same in Norway! I hate wintertime with all my heart.
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Perry Schebel
4 years, 4 months ago
yeah, but without those grim, frostbitten winters, we wouldn't have all that great norwegian black metal.
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Tadpoledancer
4 years, 4 months ago
Haha, I doubt an additional hour of gloom in the afternoon is going to make the metal go away.
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twk
4 years, 4 months ago
Hm, the PNW also offers quite good BM, I see a pattern.
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Perry Schebel
4 years, 4 months ago
totally. gloomy melancholic forests + seasonal affective disorder = great metal.
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LAT
4 years, 4 months ago
If B.C. changes, I wonder if YT will as well. That would mean in the depths of winter the sun wouldn’t rise until 11:30.
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Kos
4 years, 4 months ago
DST sucks a bit for skiing. Spring corn softening arrives one hour later.
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Cam McRae
4 years, 4 months ago
Why couldn't ski resorts simply adjust their opening schedules as they do in the spring?
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Andy Eunson
4 years, 4 months ago
They will. I’ve heard folks (tourists) complain that Whistler closes too early in January not like those Colorado resorts. Then you point out that it gets dark earlier and the patrol has a really large area to sweep at the end of the day. DST all year will be good I think. Being retired this really doesn’t affect me much one way or the other. I go to bed between 10 and 11 every day and up around 7 every day. Plus I wake up a few times to pee as well so I never get a continuous night of sleep.
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mike
4 years, 4 months ago
Drove home in day light yesterday , tonight pitch black . Gotta love 12hr shifts
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_kram_
4 years, 4 months ago
When I first heard there was going to be a vote on DST, I made the erroneous assumption that the vote was to eliminate DST altogether, which would be a tragedy of epic proportions. My favorite part of living in this part of the world is the epic long days in the summer. It's worth suffering the winter blues for. But seeing this article has me going from being seriously concerned for the loss of the summer days to being excited I can sleep in longer in the winter before I have to get up and go skiing. This would be awesome on so many levels. Bring it on.
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Stewart Spooner
4 years, 4 months ago
For any of us who work and play outside on winter mornings, this means sunrise will be at 9am. Popular support for this simply reflects how most people spend their days inside.
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SixZeroSixOne
4 years, 4 months ago
For the record, I'd prefer year round DST, however, I'm mystified by those people who claim it's difficult to adjust when the time changes.
I've never had a problem! Maybe I'm lucky but I'd be interested to hear exactly what "problems" peoples body clocks have adjusting...
Apart from maybe forgetting to change your alarm clock on the day before the change, what else is required to "adjust"?
(Granted, I work office hours, in an office, so I'm not affected by shifts or having to work outside.)
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