Quebecers will be consulted on the time change

Photo: Francis Vachon Archives Le Devoir The Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, did not want to say whether his government would necessarily abolish the time change if the majority of Quebec respondents expressed this wish at the end of the public consultation launched on the Web, which will end on December 1.

Isabelle Porter in Quebec

Published at 9:06 AM Updated at 3:19 PM

• Quebec

Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette announced Tuesday that a broad consultation will be held on the time change. The government wants to know if Quebecers want to abolish it and, if so, whether they want to adopt summer or winter time for the entire year.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

The initiative launched on the Web this Tuesday is set to end on December 1. Minister Jolin-Barrette did not want to say whether his government would necessarily abolish the time change if the majority of respondents expressed this wish. “We consult people, and then we make a decision,” he said.

This announcement comes a few days before the time change to return to Eastern Standard Time. On the night of November 2 to 3, Quebecers will have to set their clocks back one hour.

Read also

• Has the time come for change for the time change ?
• Should we fear seasonal depression with the time change ?
• Could Abolishing Time Change Benefit the Economy?

A Legacy of the World Wars

“The time has come to question the relevance of time change in Quebec,” said Minister Jolin-Barrette. This practice was first put in place during the two world wars to increase productivity by increasing the hours of sunlight devoted to work, and was then adopted on a lasting basis by Quebec in 1940.

However, the time change is increasingly criticized, particularly because of its harmful effects on health. In Canada, Saskatchewan, Yukon and some regions of British Columbia do not use it at all. In Ontario, a law was passed to abolish the time change, but it has not yet been implemented.

Asked about his motivations, the minister responded that it was “important to consult the population on something that affects people’s lives.” When journalists asked him if the government did not have more urgent issues to deal with, he retorted that it “affected the daily lives of Quebecers.”