Alberta already had a permanent DST (MDT == CST) referendum question during the
2021-10-18 municipal elections: business interests including airlines and
tourist industry opposed it, and the major metro and tourist areas voted against it:
https://www.elections.ab.ca/elections/referendum/
https://officialresults.elections.ab.ca/orResultsReferendum2021.cfm?EventId=68RQ2&QUESTIONNO=2
Sample of municipalities with 10k+ votes (ignoring declined, blank, or rejected
ballots):
Declined/Blank ballots totalling 22949 represents 2% of the Votes, much more
than the 0.4% difference in the results.
The larger proportions of No votes seem to be from higher elevations, northernly
locations, and bigger metro areas, which have more issues with DST causing later
sunrises early in the year when it is dark and the weather is worse, and less
benefit as they already have later sunsets in summer.
Estimated Turnout:
Elections Alberta maintains the provincial List of Electors, which as of April
2021 included 2,822,303 electors.
The estimated turnout for the referenda on Daylight Saving Time, using the
provincial List of Electors, is 38.7%.
Referendum Results
Do you want Alberta to adopt year-round
Daylight Saving Time, which is summer hours,
eliminating the need to change our clocks twice a year?
Jurisdiction (includes) Votes Yes No
AIRDRIE 12029 6215 5656
CALGARY 392780 187286 198957
EDMONTON 235852 104187 125408
LETHBRIDGE 28293 14158 13484
MEDICINE HAT 19998 12113 7473
RED DEER 21750 11523 9580
ROCKY VIEW COUNTY 11540 5505 5831
+ Redwood Meadows
+ Tsuu T'ina Indian Reserve #145
+ Tsuu T'ina Nation
ST. ALBERT 17826 7374 10038
STRATHCONA COUNTY 30501 13657 16213
Provincial Total 1093028 531782 536874
Percentage 49.8% 50.2%
Sample of municipalities with 1k+ votes and majority for No permanent DST:
Jurisdiction Votes Yes No %Yes %No
CANMORE 4698 1666 3032 35.46 64.54
BANFF 2008 848 1160 42.23 57.77
ST. ALBERT 17412 7374 10038 42.35 57.65
GRANDE PRAIRIE 9409 4140 5269 44.00 56.00
EDMONTON 229595 104187 125408 45.38 54.62
JASPER 1343 611 732 45.50 54.50
STRATHCONA COUNTY 29870 13657 16213 45.72 54.28
PEACE RIVER 1837 847 990 46.11 53.89
COUNTY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE NO. 1 4836 2294 2542 47.44 52.56
FORT SASKATCHEWAN 6141 2916 3225 47.48 52.52
OKOTOKS 7391 3523 3868 47.67 52.33
COCHRANE 6724 3225 3499 47.96 52.04
DEVON 2144 1037 1107 48.37 51.63
LETHBRIDGE COUNTY 1184 573 611 48.40 51.60
CALGARY 386243 187286 198957 48.49 51.51
ROCKY VIEW COUNTY 11336 5505 5831 48.56 51.44
COUNTY OF NEWELL 1503 731 772 48.64 51.36
PINCHER CREEK 1200 587 613 48.92 51.08
SPRUCE GROVE 7805 3827 3978 49.03 50.97
BEAUMONT 4417 2174 2243 49.22 50.78
STURGEON COUNTY 4460 2198 2262 49.28 50.72
Provincial Total 1068656 531782 536874 49.76 50.24
On 2026-03-15 21:00, Chris Walton via tz wrote:
Thank you Paul.
I am just thinking aloud...
Alberta will have a referendum on October 19, 2026. There is a high
probability that the Alberta government could add one or more daylight
saving related questions.
If the people of Alberta were to vote for year-round MST, then the
government could theoretically eliminate the transition to MDT
scheduled for March 14, 2027. It would be rushing things, but we have
all seen worse.
If all of this played out then Cranbrook would never become out of
sync from Edmonton and the new America/Cranbrook zone would not
technically be required.
I wish I could tell you the future, but my crystal ball is
uncooperative in these matters.
-chris
On Sun, Mar 15, 2026 at 3:56 PM Paul Eggert <[email protected]> wrote:
On 2026-03-15 08:52, Chris Walton via tz wrote:
https://www.rdek.bc.ca/news/entry/rdek_board_moves_to_transition_to_year_round_mountain_standard_time
Thanks for the heads-up. Although it was a close vote, I think unlikely
they'll reverse it as few like messing with the clocks twice a year. And
even less likely do I see the BC government overturning it, as the BC
government already said this sort of thing is OK. Proposed patch
attached. If we release 2026b and East Kootenay later says "never mind",
we can replace the patch with a backward link to the name of our
misguessed Zone.
--
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada
La perfection est atteinte Perfection is achieved
non pas lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à ajouter not when there is no more to add
mais lorsqu'il n'y a plus rien à retrancher but when there is no more to cut
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
