Ford says he is 'all in' on ending time changes if Quebec, New York agree

TORONTO · Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is ready to discuss ending seasonal time changes with Quebec's new premier, but his support hinges on agreement from Quebec and the northeastern United States. Ford said he is "very open" to discussions with Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on whether to keep up the twice-annual switch. He added that he is "all in" if not only Quebec, but also New York and the "eastern corridor of the U.S." agreed. "I'm easy going. This argument has been going on for decades," Ford said. "If Quebec and New York and the eastern corridor of the U.S. wants to do it, I'm all in."

Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon announced last month that his government intends to abolish the time switch, but has not yet decided whether to keep daylight time or standard time year-round. The Quebec government will consult with experts before making a final decision. "(Plamondon) was going to do it, then he pulled back," said Ford. He said he is ready to get on the same page once Plamondon is ready. "At the end of the day, it's pitch black out there. So I am very open to discussions with the premier of Quebec."

The discussion about ending seasonal time changes has been revived as several Canadian jurisdictions have recently opted to stop changing their clocks. British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, northwestern Ontario and the Northwest Territories all chose this year to stick with daylight time. Ontario has already made regulatory changes to its Time Act, allowing regions west of the 90th meridian to align with Manitoba and keep daylight time. Manitoba decided in September to make daylight time permanent. Saskatchewan does not adjust its clocks at all.

A move to permanent daylight time would have significant effects on winter daylight hours. In Toronto, for example, permanent daylight time would push the winter solstice sunrise to around 8:45 a.m. and sunset to around 5:45 p.m. This shift toward darker winter mornings has drawn criticism from some sleep experts. A recent analysis from the Canadian Medical Association Journal favours permanent standard time instead, citing health concerns related to disrupted circadian rhythms.

With files from The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail and CBC News