As Calgarians head to the polls on October 18th to vote for the next mayor and city council, we will also be asked to vote on several important questions, including:
We’re here to provide some insight into how this may impact you and our business community more broadly.
Right now, Albertans adjust their clocks forward by one hour in the spring thereby “losing an hour” and in the fall, “gaining an hour.” This practice originally began so we could make better use of daylight and conserve energy. Daylight saving is more common for countries farther away from the equator, where seasonal variations are more pronounced (i.e., the days are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter).
Some provinces have moved away from changing clocks twice a year due to the adverse health and mental health effects associated with disruptions to the body’s circadian rhythm, however many have decided to stay with the status quo. Those that have chosen not to change their clocks have had to decide between a year-round standard time or a year-round daylight-saving time.
The impacts to health
Many health experts are opposed to permanent daylight-saving time, citing a host of negative health outcomes such as increased risk of cancer, heart attacks, sleep problems, obesity, and diabetes. These experts suggest your body should be getting more sunlight when waking up in the morning and less sunlight when getting ready for bed in the evening. However, because the clocks are an hour ahead with a permanent daylight-saving time, we’re exposed to more sunlight later in the evening, which can disrupt the sleep cycle and lead to other associated health and mental health effects.
Moreover, mental health is believed to take a toll when we don’t get enough sunlight in the mornings. Despite getting the same amount of sunlight in the day (if the sun rises an hour later, it also sets an hour later), researchers suggest getting sunlight early helps release a hormone in the brain called serotonin, which is responsible for boosting your mood and helping you feel calm and focused through the day.
However, there have also been some reported benefits of having increased daylight later in the evening, such as lower crime, increased consumer spending, and small increases in physical activity among kids.
Dive Deeper
Changing Alberta’s time standards permanently will have resounding implications for our communities and our businesses. Before you vote, we encourage all Calgarians to learn more about daylight saving time and the impacts of adopting it year-round. Here are some more resources:
Daylight Saving Time 101 | National Geographic
Is this the last time B.C. 'springs forward' to daylight saving time?
Daylight saving or standard time? Should we just stick with one or the other?
What to know about standard time and daylight saving time
The pros and cons of switching to permanent Daylight Saving Time
