There will be no falling back after daylight saving time takes effect March 8.
As Yukoners have done for years, on March 8 they will move their clocks forward an hour.
Unlike all those previous years though, when fall rolls around there will be no falling back on the clock.
The Yukon government announced March 5 the seasonal time changes will end after clocks spring forward this year, meaning the territory will remain on Pacific Daylight Saving Time year-round.
The decision comes after a public survey saw more than 4,800 Yukoners and organizations respond. It marked the highest response rate to any Yukon government online survey, surpassing by 1,500 the online response to potential cannabis legislation in 2017.
Along with the survey about seasonal time change, another 35 written and emailed submissions came into the territory on the subject.
On the survey, a total of 93 per cent of respondents stated their desire for ending the seasonal time change with 70 per cent of those in favour of ending it with Pacific Daylight Saving Time.
“Yukoners clearly want to see an end to seasonal time change and we are listening,” Premier Sandy Silver said in a statement. “The response to this engagement speaks to the importance of this issue for people. Thank you to everyone who took the time to voice an opinion. This helped our government make an informed decision for Yukon.”
A number of regions, including British Columbia are looking at remaining on daylight saving time but have yet to make a decision.
Yukon Chamber of Commerce president Peter Turner said that the change could add to some confusion for businesses dealing with counterparts in other regions that keep seasonal time changes.
At the same time the Yukon government was running its survey, the chamber was asking its members for their thoughts on it.
A total of 70 per cent stated a preference to keep the Yukon’s time in sync with whatever route B.C. goes, while 20 per cent wanted to see the Yukon move to Alaska’s time zone and another 10 per cent preferred to keep the Yukon’s time as is.
From the chamber’s perspective, it’s best to keep in sync with business partners and for many Yukon businesses that often means those in B.C.
That said, Turner also pointed out it appears there’s a growing movement across borders to seriously consider not switching the clocks with the season. For many, it seems outdated.
In short, Turner noted, there’s no perfect solution, but it would be helpful if all regions stuck with predictable time zones that don’t change with the seasons.
Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com