British Columbia Adopts Permanent Daylight Time, New Pacific Time Zone
British Columbia officially adopted permanent year-round daylight saving time on September 18, eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes and introducing a new time zone code, Pacific Time (PCT).
British Columbia has adopted a new time-zone code to coincide with its decision to remain permanently with year-round daylight time. The transition takes effect on November 1, 2026, when clocks will no longer "fall back" as they have historically done each fall. B.C.'s transition to one year-round time zone began after the province "sprung forward" on March 8, 2026, and this will be the final time change in British Columbia. People and businesses will have eight months to prepare for Nov. 1, 2026, when clocks would usually be turned back, but now will remain the same.
B.C. has adopted permanent year-round daylight saving time, or Pacific time (PCT), to improve people's overall health, reduce disruptions for families, simplify scheduling and provide an extra hour of evening light during the winter months. Pacific time will be set seven hours behind co-ordinated universal time (UTC-7), matching the current offset used during daylight saving time.
What This Means
Government will work closely with organizations, small businesses, and public-sector partners between March and November 2026 to ensure a smooth, well-co-ordinated transition to permanent DST. There are a small number of communities in eastern parts of British Columbia that observe some form of mountain time instead of Pacific time. Those regions will not be affected by these changes. However, as a result of Pacific time no longer changing twice a year, many of these communities will be brought into greater alignment with the rest of British Columbia.
If you're relocating to British Columbia or managing operations with connections to the province, note that software systems and digital infrastructure will require updates to reflect the new permanent time zone. Employers and international teams should ensure scheduling tools and communication platforms are updated before November 1 to avoid confusion.
Sources
Independent app, not a government. General information, not advice. The official source:
