AI disclosure statement: AI was used for transcriptions
Listen to the whole story here:
On Nov. 1, parts of Northwestern Ontario will begin permanent daylight saving time despite experts’ concerns over increased health risks for cancer and diabetes.
“They’re overlooking all [the health warnings]. They know this. We’ve told them this. I have told them this,” said Patricia Lakin-Thomas, a professor in the department of biology at York University and a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Society for Chronobiology.
The Ontario government’s decision was prompted by Manitoba’s declaration on Sept. 17 to remain in permanent daylight savings time on Nov. 1, “Maintaining alignment with Manitoba would help businesses operate more efficiently across provincial boundaries, while making it easier for residents and service providers to coordinate activities such as health-care appointments and travel.”
The City of Kenora located in Northwest Ontario, completed a survey of more than 5,000 residents. Results showed 93 per cent of residents preferred permanent daylight saving time.
The Grand Council Treaty #3 was consulted by the Ontario government and gave its full support. According to their press release, their concern was that Manitoba’s decision could divide Treaty #3 territory across different time zones, creating complications for people accessing services and resources.
But still, many experts believe the government is ignoring their health warnings and choosing to satisfy public opinion and business demands.
“They are often persuaded by small segments of the business population who perhaps have the ear of the politicians,” said Lakin-Thomas.
Professor Ralph Mistlberger, a sleep and circadian-rhythm researcher at Simon Fraser University, said experts were not consulted during BC’s earlier move toward permanent daylight time, even though sleep researchers had submitted a warning letter to the BC government in 2019.
“The government didn’t recognize it as a health issue, but it is a health issue,” said Mistlberger.
Mistlberger also participated in an analysis published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) that said permanent standard time aligns better with humans’ circadian rhythms.
“People’s metabolic profile shifts from being normal to being as bad as pre-diabetic,” said Mistlberger. “And then you end up with a condition that we know as diabetes, and that’s really bad for long-term health.”
“Social Jet Lag” is also a common concern among sleep researchers like Mistlberger. It is the misalignment of a person’s internal clock and the daily routine they intend to follow.
Lakin-Thomas pointed to a study from the United States about people living on the West Coast on permanent daylight saving time.
“They’re sleep-deprived and have higher rates of overweight and diabetes. They had higher rates of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and a few kinds of cancer,” said Lakin-Thomas.
In 2020, Ontario passed the Time Amendment Act, introduced by former MPP Jeremy Roberts. The legislation ends clock changes and makes permanent daylight time the standard time year-round.
When introducing the bill in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Roberts said Ontario would need to coordinate with Quebec and New York State before making the switch. He argued that maintaining the same time as neighbouring jurisdictions was important for cross-border trade and for people whose work and daily lives span the Ontario-Quebec border.
Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon recently announced his government’s intention to end seasonal time changes, but the province has not yet decided whether it would remain on daylight saving time or standard time. New York’s decision also remains uncertain.
For now, while some communities in northwestern Ontario prepare to keep daylight saving time year-round, the rest of the province continues to wait for a further agreement on what time it should follow.
“What people want is not always what’s best for them,” said Lakin-Thomas.
Reporter, OTR, F2026.
