BY: JESSICA BEUKER
Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday March 11, 2018 and sees the clocks jump forward by one hour until November 4, when they jump back. It’s an annual occurrence in Canada, that to be completely honest has never made much sense to me.
I only discovered Daylight Saving Time about 7 years ago when I first moved to Ontario. Until that time, I resided in Saskatchewan, where most of the province doesn’t take part in Daylight Saving Time (some locations in Quebec and British Columbia remain on standard time all year as well). I still remember the first time I had to move my clocks forward. I did so without hesitation, and I continue to do so without hesitation every year. Yet, I, and I’m sure many others, still don’t understand exactly why we do this and why it’s so important.
It’s not so bad in March, as you gain the extra hour back, but in November, it feels as if time is being ripped right from your hands. Dean Brody’s “Time” sums up this feeling quite perfectly. “The trouble is you think you have time, you think tomorrow’s always coming down the line. And then one day you wake up and you find, the trouble is you thought you had time.”
When did this tradition begin?
Canada first observed Daylight Saving Time back in 1908. The residents of Port Arthur, ON, now known as Thunder Bay, ON, were the first to do so. Other locations followed soon after.
Why do we have Daylight Saving Time?
Simply put, the purpose of Daylight Saving Time is to advance the clocks in the summer so that evening daylight lasts longer (while sacrificing normal sunrise times). The idea being that people will experience a greater increase in sunlight hours after their workday ends. Another popular argument for Daylight Saving Time is that it decreases overall energy consumption by reducing the need for heating and lighting.
While most Canadians just simply go with the flow and take part without any questions, there are also those who are opposed to Daylight Saving Time, arguing that it doesn’t decrease energy consumption and that the hour of extra daylight in the evening doesn’t actually have much of an effect. Some have even argued that it has an opposite negative effect. Arguments have been made that Daylight Saving Time disrupts sleep patterns and work efficiency. Clock shifts sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices and heavy equipment. It’s even been shown to increase the risk of heart attack by 10 per cent. Those that oppose it argue that any positive effects get cancelled out by the negative ones.
Who observes Daylight Saving Time?
Daylight Saving Time is observed all around the world. Most of North America and Europe observe it, as well as some areas in the middle east. On the other hand, most areas of Africa and Asia do not observe Daylight Saving Time. A country’s location to the equator also plays a big part in whether they observe the practice or not. For example, in South America, most countries in North, near the equator observe Daylight Saving Time, while those further from the equator in the south do not. Countries that are close to the equator do not experience sunrise times that vary enough to justify the need for Daylight Saving Time.
Whether you’re for it, or against it, Daylight Saving Time seems to be sticking around, so you might as well jump on board. The alternative option is to boycott it, but just make sure that you give a heads up to anyone you make future plans with.
As Dean Brody would say, “the trouble is, you think you have time…”
