Northwest Territories latest to stay on daylight time year-round

The Northwest Territories government says it is officially ending seasonal time changes.

The territory’s new permanent time standard, known as Northwest Territories time, will be observed year-round.

Clocks will not have to go back an hour on Nov. 1, the government says, when time change would occur in the Northwest Territories.

The territory will now share a common time with Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The government says that for most residents, the transition is expected to be simple as devices running the latest software are to receive the time zone update once it is released by system providers.

It says the change comes after public feedback in 2022, when more than 3,500 residents participated in an online survey, with more than 87 per cent supporting ending the practice of changing the clocks twice a year.

The territory says respondents most commonly expressed a preference for maintaining mountain daylight time year-round, which is in line with the new time zone.

“Ending seasonal time change gives residents what they’ve asked us for,” Premier R.J. Simpson said in a news release Wednesday.

“This change provides greater consistency for people, families, organizations and businesses across the territory.”