Get ready to spring forward, Albertans! Daylight saving time (DST) starts in just two short weeks, so it’s nearly time to set your clocks forward once again — if they’re not automatic, that is. You might wake up extra tired the morning of, but it looks like the polarizing tradition is here to stay for now.
When does daylight saving time start in 2025?
According to a 2021 province-wide survey, 50.2 per cent of Albertans voted to continue “springing forward” every March and “falling back” each October.
In 2025, this means the time will jump from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Sunday, March 9, 2025, when DST starts back up again.
It also means that sunsets will start getting later and later!
Photo via Shutterstock
In Calgary, the sun will set at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, and at 7:31 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, 2025, as a result of the time change.
In Edmonton, the sunset time will jump from 6:25 p.m. to 7:27 p.m. once DST starts.
What is daylight saving time?
According to Time and Date, Canada’s observation of DST dates back to 1908, when it was first used in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
“Moving the clocks forward one hour in the spring grants us more daylight during summer evenings, while moving clocks back one hour in the fall grants us more daylight during winter mornings,” says the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
While most of North America follows DST, there are a handful of exceptions in Canada, including Yukon, the majority of Saskatchewan, and some locations in Quebec, northwest Ontario, and northeast B.C.
So there you have it, Alberta. Get ready for later sunsets and the return of spring!