Which should it be!!??
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/science/daylight-saving-time-health-safety.html
The US seems ready to stop changing the time one hour back and forth every year. Which time will it be: standard or dyalight savings?
Short answer:
Right now, the U.S. has not yet decided. The House has voted to make daylight saving time (DST) permanent, but the Senate has not approved it, so the country still switches clocks. If the current bill becomes law, the U.S. would stay on daylight saving time year‑round.
🕰️ What’s actually happening?
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 passed the U.S. House on July 14, 2026, with bipartisan support. Its goal: make daylight saving time permanent and end clock changes.
The bill still needs Senate approval and the President’s signature. Until that happens, the U.S. continues to “fall back” and “spring forward.”
An alternative bill — the Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026 — proposes the opposite: permanent standard time, with states allowed to choose DST. This bill has not advanced.
🌞 If the Sunshine Protection Act becomes law
The U.S. would stay on daylight saving time permanently, meaning:
Later sunrises in winter
Later sunsets year‑round
No more clock changes
States could opt out and stay on standard time (as Hawaii and most of Arizona already do).
🌙 If the opposing bill were chosen instead
The U.S. would stay on standard time permanently, and states could choose to observe DST. This proposal currently has far less momentum.
📌 Bottom line
The most likely outcome—if Congress acts—is permanent daylight saving time.
But nothing is final yet, and the U.S. still changes clocks until the Senate approves a bill.
Would you like a breakdown of how permanent DST or permanent standard time would affect sunrise/sunset times where you live in Québec?
What time are foreign country opting for?
Short answer:
Countries that have stopped changing clocks overwhelmingly choose permanent standard time, not permanent daylight saving time. A few choose permanent DST, but they are the minority.
Below is a clear, country‑by‑country breakdown based on recent global changes.
🌍 Global trend: Most countries pick permanent standard time
Across the world, the dominant choice is permanent standard time — the “winter” time — because it aligns better with human circadian rhythms and avoids extremely late winter sunrises.
Countries choosing permanent standard time
Russia — switched to permanent standard time in 2014 after a failed experiment with permanent DST.
Brazil — abolished DST in 2019; now stays on standard time year‑round.
Mexico (most of the country) — abolished DST in 2022; border cities still use DST to match the U.S.
Argentina — ended DST in 2009; permanent standard time.
Kazakhstan, China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan — all on permanent standard time.
Why standard time?
Health experts argue permanent standard time is better for sleep, heart health, and morning safety. Countries closer to the equator also gain little from DST because daylight hours barely change.
🌞 Countries choosing permanent daylight saving time (permanent summer time)
A smaller group chooses permanent DST for economic or cultural reasons.
Countries choosing permanent DST
Turkey — adopted permanent summer time (UTC+3) in 2016.
Jordan — switched to permanent summer time in 2022.
Paraguay — made summer time permanent in 2024.
Why DST?
These countries often cite:
More evening daylight for business activity
Alignment with regional neighbors
Simplified scheduling
🇪🇺 Europe: Wants to stop clock changes but can’t agree
The EU voted in 2019 to abolish clock changes, but member states cannot agree on whether to keep permanent standard time or permanent DST.
Result: Europe still changes clocks.
🇺🇸 United States: Likely DST if the change happens
The U.S. House voted to adopt permanent daylight saving time, but the Senate has not approved it yet. If passed, the U.S. would join the small group choosing permanent DST.
📌 Bottom line
Most countries that stop changing clocks choose permanent standard time.
A minority choose permanent daylight saving time.
The global trend is clearly toward ending clock changes altogether.
If you want, I can also show how permanent DST vs permanent standard time would change sunrise/sunset times in Québec, so you can see the real‑world effect where you live.
I live in a Northern country, so permanent Daylight Savings is attractive. I still think everyone on Standard time would be saner in the long run!! How is Great Britain leaning?
Short answer:
Great Britain is not leaning toward permanent Daylight Saving Time. If anything, the political and scientific momentum points toward permanent standard time, though the UK is not currently planning to abolish clock changes at all.
Let me break down the UK situation clearly — because it’s surprisingly tangled.
🇬🇧 How the UK is leaning
1. No active plan to end clock changes
Unlike the U.S. or EU, the UK government has no current legislation to stop changing clocks. Twice‑yearly clock changes remain the default.
2. If the UK did choose, permanent standard time is more likely
Here’s why:
Health experts in the UK overwhelmingly support permanent standard time.
The British Medical Journal, Royal Society for Public Health, and sleep researchers argue that standard time aligns better with human circadian rhythms.
Permanent DST was tried before — and failed.
From 1968 to 1971, the UK stayed on “British Standard Time” (which was actually permanent DST).
Result:
Scotland had sunrise after 10 AM in winter
Road deaths in the dark mornings increased
Public opinion turned against it
The experiment was abandoned.
Scotland strongly opposes permanent DST.
Winter sunrises would be extremely late (10:00–10:30 AM in the north).
Politically, this makes permanent DST nearly impossible.
3. The EU’s stalled reform influences the UK indirectly
Before Brexit, the EU voted to end clock changes — but member states couldn’t agree on standard vs DST.
The UK watched this debate closely, and the scientific consensus that emerged in Europe was:
Permanent standard time is healthier and safer.
🌞 But you’re right about northern countries
Northern countries do find permanent DST attractive because:
Winter daylight is scarce
Evening light feels psychologically uplifting
People prefer light after work rather than at 8 AM
This is why public opinion in the UK is mixed:
England tends to prefer DST
Scotland and Northern Ireland strongly prefer standard time
Wales is divided
But public preference ≠ political feasibility.
📌 Bottom line
The UK is not currently moving to end clock changes.
If it ever does, permanent standard time is the most realistic outcome.
Permanent DST is politically impossible because of Scotland’s latitude and safety concerns.
If you want, I can show how sunrise/sunset times would look in Québec under permanent DST vs permanent standard time — it’s eye‑opening, especially in December.
Please, show me!!
You picked a really interesting tension—northern‑country brain loves evening light, body clock loves morning light.
Here’s what winter would actually feel like for you around December in St‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu (basically Montreal).
December around the solstice (roughly December 21)
Using Montreal data as a proxy: sunrise about 07:32, sunset about 16:14 on standard time.
Permanent DST is basically everything shifted one hour later:
Standard time:
Go to work/school around 8:00 with some daylight starting.
Supper is already in the dark, but you’re not waking up in pitch black for as long.
Permanent DST:
8:00 AM is still full night—sun doesn’t show up until after 8:30.
But you get that extra hour of light after work, closer to 17:00.
Why people say standard time is “saner”
Body clock: Our circadian rhythm is tied to solar time, not the wall clock. Standard time keeps your internal clock closer to reality.
Morning safety: Kids going to school, commuters, pedestrians—more morning light means fewer accidents.
Sleep: Later light in the evening (permanent DST) nudges people to go to bed later, but wake time doesn’t move as much → chronic sleep debt.
So your instinct is spot‑on:
Permanent DST: emotionally attractive in a northern winter (more evening light, less depressing 4 PM darkness).
Permanent standard: probably better for long‑term sanity, health, and safety—even if it feels “earlier and gloomier” in December.
If you had to choose for yourself—knowing you’re in Québec—would you still vote for permanent DST, or does seeing that 8:30 AM sunrise give you pause?
Is there any possible action on this for Canada?
Short answer:
Yes — Canada is moving, but not uniformly. Several provinces and territories have already taken action, and more are preparing to. The overall trend is toward permanent daylight time, especially if the U.S. makes the switch. But public opinion in Québec leans strongly toward ending clock changes — and mostly toward permanent summer time.
Below is the full picture, with citations.
🇨🇦 Canada’s current direction
Canada does not have a national policy on timekeeping. Each province and territory decides for itself. But momentum is clearly building.
Provinces/territories that have already ended clock changes
Saskatchewan — year‑round CST since 1966 (effectively permanent DST for its latitude).
Yukon — permanent Pacific Daylight Time since 2020.
British Columbia — adopted permanent Pacific Daylight Time in March 2026; no fall‑back planned.
Alberta — adopted permanent Mountain Daylight Time in April 2026 (“Alberta Time”).
Territories considering or preparing to stop clock changes
Northwest Territories — announced plans to stop changing clocks.
Manitoba & Nunavut — actively studying options.
Québec’s situation (this affects you directly)
A major public consultation in 2024 gathered 214,000+ responses:
91% want to stop changing clocks.
72% prefer permanent summer time (DST).
Québec’s government says it will make its own decision and is not bound by Ontario or the U.S., but wants more consultation before acting.
🇺🇸 Why the U.S. matters for Canada
Canada historically aligns its time rules with the U.S. to avoid chaos in trade, travel, broadcasting, and scheduling.
If the U.S. adopts permanent DST, experts say most Canadian provinces will follow soon after.
Some provinces may wait a few months to see how the U.S. transition goes, but the expectation is that Canada would “fall into line.”
🧭 So what is Canada actually leaning toward?
Based on current actions and public opinion:
Most likely outcome if change happens:
Permanent daylight time (DST) in most provinces — including Québec.
Why?
Provinces already switching (BC, Alberta, Yukon) chose permanent DST.
Québec’s public strongly prefers permanent DST.
Canada tends to synchronize with the U.S., which is considering permanent DST.
But…
Health experts strongly prefer permanent standard time, citing circadian rhythm alignment and safety.
This tension mirrors your own instinct: northern countries like evening light, but standard time is biologically healthier.
📌 Bottom line
Canada is moving toward ending clock changes — province by province.
The dominant trend is permanent daylight time, especially in western provinces and in Québec’s public opinion.
If the U.S. finalizes permanent DST, Canada will almost certainly follow.
If you want, I can show Québec’s sunrise/sunset times month‑by‑month under permanent DST vs permanent standard time so you can see exactly how your winter and summer would change.
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