Edited by The short version. On Sunday, November 1, 2026, most of Canada and the US will fall back an hour. British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories won’t. They’re staying on daylight saving time, the summer clock, permanently.
So from November to March, Vancouver will be an hour ahead of Seattle, Calgary an hour ahead of Denver, Winnipeg an hour ahead of Chicago, and Vancouver 2 hours behind Toronto instead of 3.
What’s changing on November 1, 2026
| Where | From Nov 1, 2026 | What’s happening |
|---|---|---|
| Most of British Columbia | UTC−7 all year | Moved its clocks forward for the last time on March 8, 2026. It won’t fall back. BC calls it Pacific Time. |
| Alberta | UTC−6 all year | Won’t fall back on Nov 1. The province calls it Alberta Time. |
| Northwest Territories | UTC−6 all year | Won’t fall back, staying in step with Alberta. Officially Northwest Territories Time. |
| Manitoba | UTC−5 all year | Won’t fall back on Nov 1. |
| Northwestern Ontario (Kenora) | UTC−5 all year | Will stay on Central Daylight Time to match Manitoba, as Ontario announced on Oct 13, 2026. |
| BC’s East Kootenay (Cranbrook, Fernie) | UTC−6 all year | Will follow Alberta, as it always has. |
| Golden, BC | UTC−7 all year | Is switching from Alberta’s time to BC’s. |
Why BC and Alberta are ending daylight saving time changes
BC decided this years ago. Its 2019 law said it would stop changing clocks once Washington, Oregon and California did the same, so the whole West Coast could move together. Those states passed their own laws, but they can’t act without Congress, and Congress hasn’t. In March 2026, BC stopped waiting and announced it would go it alone.
The neighbours followed fast. Alberta passed Bill 31, proclaimed on June 18, 2026. Manitoba passed Bill 223. The Northwest Territories brought in new time regulations on Aug 21, 2026 to stay in step with Alberta. All four chose permanent daylight time, the summer clock. That means later sunsets all year and darker winter mornings.
The towns that break the rules
Provincial borders and time zone borders were never quite the same thing, and November 1 reshuffles the exceptions:
- Cranbrook and Fernie are in BC but keep Alberta’s time, so they’ll be an hour ahead of Vancouver all year.
- Golden is switching from Alberta time to BC time, so it’ll be an hour behind Calgary.
- Creston and BC’s Peace River region (Fort St. John, Dawson Creek) have never changed their clocks. They used to swap between matching Vancouver and Calgary. From November 1 they’ll match Vancouver all year.
- Lloydminster, which straddles Alberta and Saskatchewan, will finally have both provinces on the same time all year.
- Kenora will follow Manitoba, so it’ll be the same as Toronto in winter and an hour behind in summer.
Every exception is on the odd ones out list.
Who still falls back on November 1
Changing their clocks as usual: the rest of Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and almost all of the US. They fall back at 2:00 AM on November 1, 2026 and spring forward on March 14, 2027. See all the clock change dates.
Already on one time all year, so nothing changes: Yukon (UTC−7), Saskatchewan (UTC−6), Arizona outside the Navajo Nation (UTC−7) and Hawaii (UTC−10).
What it means for you this winter
| Between | Winter | Summer |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver and Seattle | Seattle 1h behind | Same time |
| Vancouver and Toronto | Toronto 2h ahead | Toronto 3h ahead |
| Calgary and Denver | Denver 1h behind | Same time |
| Winnipeg and Chicago | Chicago 1h behind | Same time |
| Winnipeg and Toronto | Same time | Toronto 1h ahead |
| Vancouver and Calgary | Calgary 1h ahead | Calgary 1h ahead |
| Vancouver and London | London 7h ahead | London 8h ahead |
Use the time zone converter for any other pair, or browse all 78 comparisons. Two things to check before November 1:
- Your devices. Phones and computers need updated time zone rules, or they’ll fall back anyway. Check and fix your clock.
- Your calendar. Recurring meetings booked in the old time zone can land an hour off. Fix your Outlook and Google Calendar meetings.
Will anyone else follow?
Short answer: lots of places want to, few can. Most US states that have voted for permanent daylight time need Congress to allow it first. The questions below cover the ones people ask about most.
Does BC change its clocks on November 1, 2026?
No. BC moved its clocks forward for the last time on March 8, 2026. On November 1 it stays at UTC−7, which it will keep all year. The province calls it Pacific Time.
Will Alberta fall back in November 2026?
No. Alberta is moving to permanent daylight time and will stay at UTC−6 all year from November 1, 2026. The province calls it Alberta Time.
Is Manitoba changing its clocks in 2026?
Manitoba won’t fall back on November 1, 2026. It stays at UTC−5 all year from then on, and the Kenora area of northwestern Ontario will do the same.
Do the rest of Canada and the US still fall back on November 1?
Yes. Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and almost all of the US fall back an hour at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and spring forward again on March 14, 2027.
Is California going to stop daylight saving time?
Not yet. California voters approved Proposition 7 in 2018, which lets the state legislature move to permanent daylight time, but permanent daylight time also needs approval from Congress. That hasn’t happened, so as of October 2026 California still changes its clocks twice a year.
Will Washington and Oregon follow BC?
They want to. Washington passed a law in 2019 to adopt permanent daylight time, and Oregon passed a similar one, but both only take effect if Congress allows it. Until then, Seattle and Portland keep falling back, which puts them an hour behind Vancouver from November to March.
Is the US going to make daylight saving time permanent?
Maybe. The House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 139) on July 14, 2026, by 308 to 117, and the President supports it. The Senate hasn’t voted on it as of October 2026. If it becomes law, most US states would stop changing their clocks and line up with BC and Alberta again all year.
Will Ontario stop changing its clocks?
Only partly, for now. The parts of northwestern Ontario that already use Manitoba’s time, including Kenora, will follow Manitoba and won’t fall back on November 1. Ontario passed a law in 2020 to make daylight time permanent for the whole province, but it only takes effect if Quebec and New York do the same.
Will Quebec stop changing its clocks?
Not soon. Quebec has asked the public, and most people said they want to stop changing the clocks, but the government hasn’t set a date and is not expected to move without its neighbours.
What about Saskatchewan and Yukon?
Nothing changes. Saskatchewan has stayed on UTC−6 all year for decades, and from November 1 it will match Alberta all year. Yukon has been on UTC−7 all year since 2020, and from November 1 it will match BC all year.
Why did BC pick daylight time instead of standard time?
BC passed its law in 2019 planning to move alongside Washington, Oregon and California, which all chose permanent daylight time. After years of waiting on Congress, BC went ahead on its own in 2026. Daylight time means later sunsets all year, at the cost of darker winter mornings.
Has anywhere else done this?
Yes. Mexico stopped changing its clocks in 2022, apart from some cities along the US border. Within North America, Arizona and Hawaii have skipped daylight saving time for decades.
Will my phone change automatically?
Only if it has the latest software and location-based time zone is turned on. Check your device here.
What happens to meetings in my calendar?
Meetings booked before your calendar knew about the change can show an hour off after Nov 1, especially in Outlook. The organizer should open the meeting and save it again in the new time zone. What Outlook, Google and Apple say.
Sources
- BC Gov News: B.C. moving to permanent daylight time (Mar 2, 2026)
- Province of BC: B.C.’s new time zone (Pacific time)
- Government of the NWT: Northwest Territories ends seasonal time change
- Manitoba Legislature: Bill 223
- City of Kenora: Ontario’s decision on northwestern Ontario time (Oct 13, 2026)
- Congress.gov: H.R. 139, Sunshine Protection Act
- IANA: Time Zone Database release 2026e
Something out of date? Email [email protected] and we’ll fix it. See our corrections log.