Twice a year, we complain about the clocks.
We reset the stove, feel a little off, and swear this should be the last time. For most of British Columbia, it just might be. The province has signalled it intends to stay on permanent daylight time once U.S. West Coast states follow suit.
But Golden is not most of B.C.
We are on Mountain Time. We move with Alberta. And Alberta has no plans to stop changing the clocks every March and November. So while much of the province prepares to lock in one time year-round, we will likely keep springing forward and falling back.
Why did we start this in the first place?
The modern version of daylight saving time dates back to the early 1900s, when British builder William Willett pushed the idea of shifting clocks to make better use of evening light. Countries, including Canada, adopted it during the First World War to conserve fuel. The theory was simple. More daylight in the evening meant less need for artificial lighting.
Today, the energy savings are debated. What is not debated is how disruptive the time change can feel. Studies link the spring shift in particular to sleep loss, increased accidents and cranky households. Parents dread it. Shift workers feel it. Nobody enjoys losing an hour.
Still, there are upsides. Long summer evenings are gold in a mountain town. Extra light after dinner means more time on the trails, more kids outside, more life squeezed into a short season. Businesses and tourism operators tend to like that too.
The real question is not whether we like the change. It is which version of time works best for us.
Permanent daylight time would mean brighter evenings year-round but darker winter mornings. In a valley where the sun already arrives late in December, that matters. Permanent standard time would brighten mornings but shorten summer evenings. Continuing to switch gives us the best of both seasons, at the cost of the twice-yearly disruption.
Golden has always straddled lines. We are British Columbians who keep Alberta’s time. That reflects how we live and work.
So while the rest of B.C. may finally be done fiddling with the clocks, do not put away your step stool just yet. Around here, we will probably still be resetting the microwave for years to come.
