TV to travel: What will change in Alberta with permanent daylight saving time

Alberta is moving to permanent daylight saving time (DST), and starting this fall, the twice-a-year clock changes will be a thing of the past.

But beyond no longer losing or gaining an hour of sleep, the change will also bring a handful of other shifts this winter that you may not notice right away.

From TV schedules to airport timing, here’s a look at what will be a little different once the switch to permanent daylight saving time is in place.

10 a.m. sunrise in the winter

Because we are so far north, permanent DST in the winter means the sun won’t rise until around 9 or 9:30 a.m. in Calgary and Edmonton. If you’re in northern communities like High Level or Fort McMurray, you’re looking at a 10 a.m. sunrise or later.

…but a 5:30 p.m. sunset

While we’ll be going to work or school in the dark, we’ll at least get to catch a glimpse of the sun on our way out in the winter. That’s something we can all look forward to at the end of the day!

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Is that good for us?

The jury’s still out. There’s plenty of research showing the effects of twice-a-year clock changes on physical and mental health, but when it comes to sticking with one time year-round, the debate isn’t settled. Some experts say standard time might actually be healthier.

But for now, we will find out firsthand what it’s like to trade sunny mornings for more light in the evening, and if we don’t like it, Premier Danielle Smith says we could head to the polls next year.

“I’m sure we’ll get a gauge on whether or not people think that we’ve made a mistake,” she told reporters on Wednesday.

“If that’s the case, then we have time if we need to add an additional referendum question to the ballot in October 2027. But I think we need to live it first and then see what the reaction is.”

Alberta and Saskatchewan will always be the same

You won’t have to double-check the time in Saskatchewan anymore. With the shift, Alberta will essentially line up with Central Time, which could make things a bit smoother for anyone dealing with schedules across the prairies.

But it’s going to make scheduling TV a bit tricky

Many live TV programs will air an hour later in the winter. While that’s likely the most noticeable change for viewers, it could also affect local news time slots and how advertisers schedule their spots.

It could also cause some headaches at times for hockey fans.

Roughly 60 to 70 per cent of the NHL’s regular season is played when most of the continent is operating in standard time. In the 2026-27 season, it will span from Nov. 1, 2026, to Mar. 14, 2027. It will be in that span of time that hockey fans notice a difference in game times.

Rather than having games out east begin at the usual 5 or 5:30 p.m. MT., they will now get underway at 6 or 6:30 p.m. This also means road trips down to California to face the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and LA Kings will feature even later start times.

Not just TV, but also airlines

The change could also impact flight schedules, as airlines adjust their timing to match the shift to permanent daylight time. If you’ve got travel plans this winter, it’s worth keeping an eye on your booking in case anything changes.

With files from Laine Mitchell and Colton Pankiw