Ontario is updating the Time Act on November 1 to let areas west of the 90th meridian stay on daylight time. This ensures the region remains aligned with Manitoba's recent time zone shift.
The November 1 regulatory change to the Time Act
Ontario is moving to synchronize its northwestern regions with Manitoba to avoid logistical disruptions.. According to the report, Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford announced that the province will use a regulatory change to the Time Act to allow areas west of the 90th meridian to observe permanent daylight time.
This decision prevents a scheduling rift between northwestern Ontario and its neighbor to the west. By adopting what Minister Greg Rickford calls "Wab Kinew time," the region avoids the confusion that would have arisen had Manitoba moved to permanent daylight time while Ontario continued its twice-annual clock shifts.
A 90 to 94 per cent consensus among First Nations and businesses
The shift is backed by significant local support across the affected region. As reported, surveys conducted by the Ontario government showed 90 to 94 per cent support for the change among municipalities, businesses, and First Nations.
Sol Mamakwa, the New Democrat representative for the Kiiwetinoong riding, played a key role in ensuring remote, fly-in First Nations were heard during the process. Mamakwa stated that the advocacy to make daylight savings permanent was a collaborative effort to deliver a solution that specifically works for the North.
The 'Alberta time' model and the rejection of Eastern Time
Ontario's approach mirrors a recent move by Alberta,which established "Alberta time" to remain synchronized with Saskatchewan year-round. This trend suggests a growing preference among Prairie-adjacent regions to abandon the traditional biannual clock change in favor of stability and cross-border alignment.
Minister Greg Rickford noted that Ontario considered shifting the northwest to Eastern Time to align with the rest of the province, but this was rejected. The alternative—continuing clock changes—would have left the region out of step with both the rest of Ontario and Manitoba, making the permanent daylight option the only unanimous choice among stakeholders.
Coordination gaps between Toronto and the 90th meridian
While the move solves the Manitoba alignment issue, it creates a permanent divergence within Ontario's own borders. The report does not specify how the provincial government in Toronto will manage the permanent one-hour difference with the northwest, particularly for administrative services or emergency cooordination.
Furthermore, it remains unclear if this regulatory change will prompt other regions in Ontario to request similar exemptions from the Time Act. The source focuses exclusively on the northwest , leaving open the question of whether this creates a precedent for further fragmentation of time zones across the province.
Comments 0