Abolish biannual clock change
Petitioners ask the House to establish a national framework to abolish the biannual clock change and coordinate with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to adopt permanent standard time, via a federal-led summit and support.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would end twice-yearly clock shifts that petitioners link to higher risks of heart attacks, strokes and seasonal affective disorder.
- It could reduce the documented immediate rise in motor-vehicle accidents and workplace injuries after clock changes.
- A federal framework and summit would help harmonize time across provinces, reduce economic fragmentation and support coordinated implementation.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Time regulation is provincial; a federal framework may face jurisdictional and legal challenges and be impractical to enforce.
- Provinces and communities differ by latitude and preference; some may prefer permanent daylight time or local choices rather than one national standard.
- Organizing a summit and coordinating transitions will use federal resources and create economic and logistical costs that may outweigh benefits.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled The twice-annual time change is an outdated practice that disrupts the natural circadian rhythms of Canadians; Scientific research links these shifts to increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, and seasonal affective disorder; Public safety is compromised by a documented rise in motor vehicle accidents and workplace injuries immediately following the time change; and While time regulation is provincial, federal leadership is required to coordinate a national standard to prevent economic and logistical fragmentation between provinces and international trading partners. We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to : 1.Establish a unified national framework to abolish the biannual clock change; 1.Establish a unified national framework to abolish the biannual clock change; 2. Coordinate with provinces and territories to transition Canada to a permanent time standard (the current Standard Time) to protect the health, safety, and productivity of all Canadians by supporting the organization of a national Time Standardization Summit with all the provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners; 3. Use federal resources to bring together scientific experts, provincial ministers, sleep researchers, and economic stakeholders; 4. Support provinces in harmonizing the switch to permanent standard time.
Government response
No government response is available yet.