Daylight Savings Time

August 28, 2002 | Me

[Ipberg]

Admit it, Saskatchewan has failed to convince the rest of Canada Daylight Savings Time (DST) is bad. No province has adopted DST only to revoke it later. The rest of Canada was treated to the wonders of "Saskatchewan Time" on federal election night in 1997 when our polling results were delayed until after results from British Columbia because of time zone confusion. More Saskatchewan people than ever conclude that for our own convenience, and to end the confusion of others, this should change. Switching to Central Daylight Time (CDT) in April, 2003 and returning to CST in October, 2003 would painlessly fix the problem. We would have the same time as Winnipeg year-round. Scheduling phone calls, travel, and even TV shows would be much simpler. And Newfoundland, with its clocks set half an hour ahead of the Maritimes, would be the only province left with a dumb time zone policy!

[gcruse]

 
The farmers come with the silly argument that they will be in the fields later (clock time)

No, no.  It's that the extra hour of sunlight burns up their crops.  ;)

[Willie Green]

Pick one time or the other and leave it, or split the difference (1/2) hour and be done with it.

It doesn't quite work that way, especially in northern latitudes where the difference between the "longest day of the year" and the "shortest day of the year" is greater. The whole idea is to shift the clocks to maximize the availability of sunlight during normal waking hours. That is: try keep sunrise somewhere in the vicinity between 5:30 and perhaps 7:OO AM. Stick with just one setting year 'round, and it's either going to be rising too early in the summer, or too late in the winter to maximize availability and use.

In a way, it surprises me that in even more northern latitudes, such as up in Canada, don't shift their clocks by an even greater amount, perhaps 2 hours. Or more frequently, perhaps in one hour increments four times a year instead of just twice.

[goodnesswins]

You ARE right.....having it not get light until 10am in the dark of winter (and then dark again before 4pm)....makes for LONG nights.....There are only a million or so people in all of Saskatchewan, so I don't think many care too much what THEY think.... (I lived in PA, SK for 18 months.)

[F.J. Mitchell]

Canada's business is Canada's business, and I would never nose into anytone's argument about daylight savings time, but I wrote my opinion on the subject in the USA in the following poem:

Daylight Saving Time

Daylight saving time, an invention of fools
a perfect example of bureaucratic rules
we reset our clocks two times every year
saving daylight; do they store it somewhere?

If the dark ages should ever return
we know we will have daylight to burn
We'll rely on our governments so tested and true
to mete out that daylight to me and to you

Or will they have spent it until there is none
leaving just an IOU, like the other trust funds?
I guess we have led them to think we're not bright
when we trust them with money, as well as daylight

They remind us they own us, blood, flesh and bone
not even our time is really our own
the arrogance of government is what's hard to stand
they manipulate our time, just to show us they can!

[don-o]

Or more frequently, perhaps in one hour increments four times a year instead of just twice.

Why not twelve times a year?

Or set your clock every day?

I am passionate about this. I can order my activities around natural sunrise and sunset. I hate the biennial and legislated disruption

[Willie Green]

having it not get light until 10am in the dark of winter (and then dark again before 4pm)....makes for LONG nights.....

Geeeez, I didn't think anybody but polar bears and a handful of Eskimos lived that far north to have that little sunlight in winter. I imagine the best that can be done is to try to keep available sunlight hours centered around noon. Of course. in the summer, you must have the opposite problem with the sun never setting.

[hoosierboy]

There are places in arizona as well who dont change their clocks.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Why not set clocks to 6pm at local sundown? That at least has historical precedent.

Daylight savings time has just become a method to make it harder to make travel schedules. It's a method for the govrenment to make the people think that "something is being done" about energy, time, the environment, health care, taxes, and flat carbonated drinks.

[Willie Green]

IMHO, you'd be best off just setting your watch to Greenwich Time and not worrying about what everybody else does.

[kstewskis]

There are places in arizona as well who dont change their clocks.

The whole state doesn't change. However, I'm not sure if any of the Indian reservations do, doubtful.

[Dianna]

I hate that day in October, and that day in April when I am told to "fall back" or "spring forward" Or vice versa.

That day in October? Last Sunday night I was FReeping when my computer suddenly informed me that it was adjusting my clock. For about 30 seconds I wondered how I could possibly have NOT known it was time to change the clocks. And then I remembered that it's only August.

[Alberta's Child]

Ironically, although Alberta is the most similar to the United States in terms of its tax system and overall finances, it usually shows up at the bottom of the list when any national survey ranks the provinces in order of their willingness to join the U.S.

[Alberta's Child]

I lived in PA, SK for 18 months.

Those Raider fans (and I don't mean Oakland Raiders!), eh?

[don-o]

That day in October? Last Sunday night I was FReeping when my computer suddenly informed me that it was adjusting my clock.

My PC at work has sometime resets the time and date. I have recently been working in January, 2003. Not sure it was standard or savings time

[Kowdawg]

I like your idea of 12 one-hour adjustments.

I've never had much trouble falling back an hour in October but trying to catch up in April is a killer. Why not agree agreed to fall back an hour a month and then fall back 12 hours in December.

It's too flippin' hot to go outside in August when the sun's up anyway.

[Joe Hadenuf]

No S at the end of "Saving".

Oh yes there is, I like the S at the end of savingS......

[uglybiker]

However, I'm not sure if any of the Indian reservations do, doubtful. The Navajo Reservation does. I'm not aware of any other tribes that do.

I'm sure the Hopis don't simply because they don't like Navajos. :^P

[don-o]

I like your idea of 12 one-hour adjustments

Well, how about a daily clock adjustment?

Then, we would achieve maximim benefit, yes?

[badfreeper]

"I don't want either Ontario or Quebec."

Ontario is where the money is. Not to mention they've elected two majority conservative provincial governments in a row.

Not that I'm a huge proponent of Canada joining the US. At least not without a pretty sweet deal.

[goodnesswins]

I thought Alberta had all the money?!.....OIL!!!!