It was announced earlier this year that B.C. was going to move to permanent daylight time to stop switching the clocks for daylight saving time; now there’s a new time zone code.
The B.C. Ministry of Citizens’ Services announced the changes today.
B.C. eliminated the twice-a-year change in March 2026, and today it announced that it will be using PCT as the abbreviation for the year-round time zone code.
PCT stands for Pacific Time.
The ministry is advising residents that they can either use Pacific Time or PCT when referencing the year-round time standard.
Proposed changes to adopting year-round Daylight Saving Time date back to 2019, when a survey saw over 220,000 participate, with 93 per cent in support.
Ordinarily, when Nov. 1 rolls around, the clocks roll back one hour, granting residents an extra hour of sleep. That will not happen this year.
“Improved overall health, reduced disruptions for families, simplified scheduling and an extra hour of evening light during the winter months are clear benefits of a year-round time zone,” said Diana Gibson, the minister of citizens’ services, in a statement.
“In March, Premier Eby announced B.C.’s last ‘spring forward’ time change to Pacific Time and the three-letter abbreviation PCT aligns with how other provinces abbreviate their time zones,” Gibson added.
The ministry noted other benefits residents may see, including fewer sleep disruptions, the increased light allowing more leisure time, and participation in outdoor activities and consumer activity.
It also states there will be reduced administrative burden for small businesses and service providers “who may require less system reprogramming.”
The ministry adds that existing local mountain time arrangements in parts of northern and southeastern B.C. are not changed by the transition to PCT.
Codes like PCT are used in operational and communications systems, and B.C. says that using PCT aligns with Canadian and international time zone naming conventions.
You can read more about the changes on the B.C. government’s website.