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Ontario to Match U.S. DST Change

Devastator writes "CBC is reporting that Ontario will be the first Canadian province to change daylight savings rules to reflect the changes happening in the U.S in 2007. Attorney General Michael Bryant says 'the province's economy was the deciding factor and that if Ontario isn't on the same time as the United States, it will be hurt financially.'"

8 of 454 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This is really stupid by Eric+Giguere · · Score: 2, Informative

    From webexhibits.org:

    Daylight Saving Time, for the U.S. and its territories, is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, most of the Eastern Time Zone portion of the State of Indiana, and the state of Arizona (not the Navajo Indian Reservation, which does observe). Navajo Nation participates in the Daylight Saving Time policy, due to its large size and location in three states.

    In Canada, currently the province of Saskatchewan doesn't observe it.

    Eric
    J2ME programming info
  2. Re:oblig rant... by grimr · · Score: 4, Informative

    You have it backwards. Daylight savings time is what gives more sunlight later in the day. The children getting on the bus argument is against making DST a larger percentage of the year or shifting the time more than just one hour.

  3. This makes sense by Husgaard · · Score: 3, Informative
    Some years back each european country had their own rules for DST. Travelling through Europe around the times of year when changing to/from DST was hell if you wanted to know the local time.

    Then EU kicked in and harmonized the rules for changing to and from DST, and this had made everything a lot easier. Even EU countries in different time zones have the same rules, so you know the time difference is always the same.

    To me it really makes sense that nearby countries want to have the same rules for changing to/from DST.

  4. It's to save energy you insensitive clod! by koick · · Score: 5, Informative

    Straight from the mighty wikipedia:

    Rationales for DST

    One of the major reasons given for observing DST in the United States is energy conservation. Theoretically, the amount of residential electricity needed in the evening hours is dependent both on when the sun sets and when people go to bed. Because people tend to observe the same bedtime year-round, by artificially moving sunset one hour later, the amount of energy used is theoretically reduced. United States Department of Transportation studies showed that DST reduces the country's electricity usage by one percent during each day DST is in effect.

    Part of the reason that it is normally observed in the late spring, summer, and early autumn is because during the winter months the amount of energy saved by moving sunset one hour later is negated by the increased need for morning lighting by moving sunrise by the same amount. During the summer most people would wake up after the sun rises, regardless of whether daylight saving time is in effect or not, so there is no increased need for morning lighting to offset the afternoon energy savings.

    Another perceived benefit of DST is increased opportunities for outdoor activities. Most people plan outdoor activities during the increased hours of sunlight. Other benefits cited include prevention of traffic injuries (by allowing more people to return home from work or school in daylight), and crime reduction (by reducing people's risk of being targets of crimes that are more common in dark areas).

    When the U.S. went on extended DST in 1974 and 1975 in response to the 1973 energy crisis, Department of Transportation studies found that observing DST in March and April saved 10,000 barrels of oil a day, and prevented about 2,000 traffic injuries and 50 fatalities saving about U.S. $28 million in traffic costs.

  5. Re:This is really stupid by Courier9 · · Score: 2, Informative
    In Canada, currently the province of Saskatchewan doesn't observe it.

    Actually, Saskatchewan is always on DST all year round, we never change back.

  6. Completely untrue.. Quebec was first by Tester · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is funny... Because a few days ago Quebec announced that it had decided to follow the US and that the gov of Qc was trying to convince Ontario and New Brunswick (that are also in EST). Radio-canada reported it (in French)

  7. DST Graph For Toronto, Canada by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's linked in another thread, hidden deep in conversation, and I though it worthwhile, so here's a graph of DST in Toronto, Canada. One of the few informative things I've read in this.

  8. Daylight saving time is in the summer by p3d0 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Daylight saving time has no bearing on what time the sun rises or sets in the winter.

    --
    Patrick Doyle
    I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....