Skip to content

LETTER: Permanent daylight savings time will bring dark winter mornings

With full-time daylight savings time (DST) looming in B.C.’s future, I wonder how people, especially those in more northern latitudes, are going to feel about waking up to a sunrise in December/January that will be an hour later than regular solar time.
28514215_web1_200306-RDA-Daylight-Savings-sleep-web_1
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

With full-time daylight savings time (DST) looming in B.C.’s future, I wonder how people, especially those in more northern latitudes, are going to feel about waking up to a sunrise in December/January that will be an hour later than regular solar time.

For those who relish this thought, perhaps a short lesson in geographical latitude and sunrise/sunset times would be worth their time (no pun intended).

In Victoria, full-time DST means that sunrise will arrive on Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. In Prince George, sunrise will arrive at 9:25 a.m. In Fort St. John, sunrise will arrive at 10:32 a.m.

There may be many who like the idea of extended evening light that permanent DST brings, but at what cost for mornings in the middle of winter?

Let’s remember that the recent B.C. survey on keeping or ceasing the twice-annual time change did not provide a third choice, that of full-time solar time. Hardly equitable, and to whose end? Don’t forget your reflective clothing and flashlights.

Robin Krause

Sooke