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Yukon to extend daylight hours

Premier Dennis Fentie has finally secured a brighter future for the Yukon.Expect to see results next March, when the territory joins many other…

Premier Dennis Fentie has finally secured a brighter future for the Yukon.

Expect to see results next March, when the territory joins many other North American jurisdictions by extending daylight saving time.

The government has “decided to incorporate the time extension in order to best align ourselves with our business partners in Canada and the United States,” said Fentie.

The extension means Yukoners will set their clocks ahead by an hour on March 11th next year, and set them back an hour on November 4th.

Currently, clocks change time on the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October.

The new policy was enacted to “minimize impacts on banking and business transactions,” said Fentie in the release.

Last year, US President George Bush signed legislation that extended the daylight saving period to curb electricity consumption in America.

Daylight saving was originally started in Europe in the early 1900s, to minimize energy needed to light homes in the dark.

While the change here will mean a darker start to some mornings, it will align the territory with others in North America, reducing the number of scheduling problems with transportation, such as airlines, buses and ferries, said Fentie’s release. (TQ)