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Residents who live along the New Brunswick-Quebec border are used to the hour difference between the two provinces.
But a promise by the Parti Québécois to table a bill in the coming months to abolish the seasonal time change starting next year has some wondering if the time difference would shrink or grow.
If Quebec decides to stick with daylight saving time all year, it would mean there would be no time difference between New Brunswick and Quebec for about eight months of the year, from March to October.
Kathleen Hackett-Bujold lives in Pointe-à-la-Croix, Que., and crosses the bridge to Campbellton regularly.
Kathleen Hackett-Bujold lives in Quebec but does “everything” in Campbellton. She says it would be wonderful if the time change between the two provinces was eliminated. (Honorine Ngountchoup/CBC)
“I do everything in Campbellton,” she said. “Here, it’s back time, and I go on the other side of the bridge and it’s an hour later. So either way I’m OK with that.”
Hackett-Bujold welcomes the idea of having the same time on both sides of the border.
“I’d like to have the same time. It wouldn’t be so mixed up.”
However, if Quebec decides to stick with standard time, that would stretch the time difference between the two provinces to two hours when New Brunswick residents spring forward in March.
Pascal Bujold, the mayor of Pointe-à-la-Croix, said he would prefer that Quebec continue to change to daylight saving time every spring like its New Brunswick neighbours. (Honorine Ngountchoup/CBC)
Premier Susan Holt said if New Brunswick moves away from rolling the clocks back, it “would be something that we’d look at as a region.”
“What matters to New Brunswick is where we fit with our neighbours and how our time zone works to give us economic opportunity and relationships we need to have with neighbouring provinces.”
Green Party Leader David Coon said if the Holt government makes a decision about eliminating the time change, it needs to consult with New Brunswickers and consider the science.
Green Party Leader David Coon said if New Brunswick decides to eliminate the time change, the province should stick with standard time to allow for more sun in the mornings. (Honorine Ngountchoup/CBC)
“The science says stick with standard time year-round. Don’t use daylight saving time year-round, because it messes up everyone’s circadian rhythms,” he said.
“We’re built to have light in the morning when we get up, not darkness. And who wants to get up in darkness for too many months of the year?”
Campbellton resident Pierrette Fontaine doesn’t like the idea of Quebec making a change.
“If we let them do everything they want, they’re going to change Christmas and Halloween, too,” she said with a laugh.
Campbellton resident Pierrette Fontaine wants to see Quebec continue to change the clocks twice a year as it always has. (Honorine Ngountchoup/CBC)
British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Manitoba have all decided to stop switching between daylight and standard time in the last year or so, while residents in Yukon and Saskatchewan haven’t wound back their clocks in years.
‘It’s going to create a lot of confusion’
“It should be status quo,” said Pascal Bujold, the mayor of Pointe-à-la-Croix, which is on the other side of the Restigouche River from Campbellton. “We’re OK with what we have.”
The Quebec mayor worries it will create issues for businesses and people making appointments across the two provinces.
“Quebec should have discussions with its border province’s leaders to be able to manage and try to find a solution to have everybody in the same plan for now because it’s going to create a lot of confusion.”
Pointe-à-la-Croix Mayor Pascal Bujold would like Quebec to keep the “status quo” and worries about the confusion it will cost if Quebec eliminates the time change and New Brunswick doesn’t. (Radio-Canada)
Bujold wants the Quebec government to consider the unique difficulties eliminating the time change could cause for border towns.
“I understand, we are the minority, even if we ask to keep the status quo, they’re not going to listen because the majority will say it’s OK,” he said.
“Living in Rimouski, living in Quebec City, Montreal, you won’t see those problems, but border towns like us will see those problems.”
If the bill is passed, Bujold hopes New Brunswick will follow and “everybody would be on the same page.”