New private bill wants to make Daylight Saving Time permanent in Ontario

“Fall back” and “spring forward” could soon be things of the past in Ontario, that is, if a  new private member’s bill has anything to say about it.

The bill’s intention is to keep Daylight Saving Time permanently.

Marie-France Lalonde, MPP for Orléans, introduced the Sunshine Protection Act this week, and, if passed, it would make Daylight Saving Time permanent on November 1, 2020.

“Study after study has shown the many benefits of a year-round Daylight-Saving Time. We need to respect evidence as we move forward in a new way” said Lalonde.

According to Lalonde’s initiative, Sunday, March 8, 2020 should be the last time Ontario moves their clocks forward.

“It is time to stop changing our clocks twice a year. It is time to protect sunshine,” reads her website.

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It continues to say when clocks leap forward in the spring, research shows there is an increase in heart attacks, traffic accidents, and workplace injuries – the result of millions of people adjusting to being forced miss an hour of sleep.

Sunday March 8, 2020 should be the last time Ontario moves their clocks forward.

It is time to stop changing our clocks twice a year.

It is time to protect sunshine.

That’s why, earlier today, I introduced the Sunshine Protection Act.https://t.co/Ag6phiZFxi#onpoli

— Marie-France Lalonde (@mflalonde) April 10, 2019

“Permanent DST means people who work a standard day shift – and kids who go to school during the day – get more daylight after work,” said Lalonde. “It means getting up when it is a bit darker in exchange for an extra hour of light after work. Sunsets in the dead of winter would be at roughly 6 pm, instead of 5, and sunrises would be at 8:30 am instead of 7:30.”

There are numerous benefits to permanent DST, says Lalonde, and that includes children getting more exercise, reduce traffic-related deaths, and no loss of productivity due to the time change.

“People are sick of watching the sun set while they are still at work,” said MPP Lalonde. “Let’s protect our sunshine and make Ontario a safer and happier place.”

The first reading of the Sunshine Protection Act was carried on April 10.