On Tuesday, the Province of Alberta rejected a private members bill proposing a new time zone for the Province, Alberta standard time.  The new time zone would be the same year round and match the Province of Saskatchewan.

In essence Alberta time would have been Mountain standard Daylight savings year round.  So when other parts of North America (south of us) were on standard mountain time we would be an hour different.

The variations between other time zones would vary during the year, being one additional hour different during standard time durations.  The big advantage, no time change twice a year.

Dark or Light

In Canada, a private member’s bill, is a bill introduced by a member of parliament who is not a cabinet minister.  So, any member of parliament or legislature,  regardless of party affiliation or the members stature can raise a bill.

As these bills do not have the support of the ruling party (via it’s leadership cabinet) they usually only succeed when when there is generally a large amount of popular support by the electorate.

For this time change proposal, over 65% of Albertans were in favour. (based on standard polling statistical analysis).  I am one of those to some degree. But, it did not succeed.

For me, the single zone should have been Mountain standard time as this means it is generally lighter earlier in the morning and darker ealier in the evening.

Obviously I am an “early to bed, early to rise” kind of guy.  However, even if it was the wrong choice (i.e., permanent daylight saving time) the benefits of a single time zone outweigh whether it is standard or daylight.

Although defeated apparently the issue is not dead.  I can only hope.