A vast majority of Quebecers want to abolish the time change and prefer to keep daylight saving time all year round.
The debate on the usefulness of changing time comes up twice a year, when the time comes to advance or wind clocks and watches. It is also this weekend (during the night from Saturday to Sunday) that citizens will have to turn back the hands of their alarm clocks.
But this time, the Legault government took the matter seriously and launched an online consultation about this practice adopted in the 1940s in Quebec. No less than 170,000 people have already spoken out, according to the office of Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette. Let us point out, however, that nothing prevents supporters of both camps from voting at will.
We have to admit that citizens have had enough of the time change. No less than seven out of ten Quebecers want to keep the same time throughout the year, reveals a Léger-The Journal.
The population prefers summer time: Quebecers want to abolish the time change
“It is still very strong support for the idea of simplifying and no longer having to change the time twice a year and it is support that we find within all the different demographic groups,” notes the vice-president of the firm, Sébastien Dallaire.
Sunrise at 8:27 a.m.
And citizens have a weakness for luminous evenings that stretch. No less than 57% of people would prefer to stay on daylight saving time all year round.
In such a scenario, the sun would obviously continue to rise at 4:51 a.m. on June 20, the longest day of the year, and set at 8:43 p.m. During the holiday season, at the winter solstice , daylight would only be visible from 8:27 a.m., but would extend until 4:59 p.m.
There are much fewer supporters of winter (standard) time all year round (18%). This hypothesis would be to the advantage of early risers, since the sun would now rise at 3:51 a.m. in June, to disappear behind the horizon at 7:43 p.m.
“Most Quebecers are not very active at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., activities start a little later in the day, so it’s somewhat normal that we are more favorable to the idea of have sunshine later in the evening,” underlines the pollster.
Morning light
But if sleep experts are also of the opinion that the time change must be put an end to, they are more inclined to keep winter (standard) time, underlines Roger Godbout, professor in the Department of Psychiatry. from the University of Montreal and a sleep specialist.
“Science teaches us that we should keep this time all year round,” he explains. It is “morning light” which is important for our biological clock, the one which controls our sleep rhythm and several hormones allowing us to face the day.
Changing the time has harmful effects on human health, and not just for a few days. “Shifting by one hour risks having effects that will last all year, because throughout the year, we will be out of phase with the period of the day that is most profitable for us.”
Roger Godbout emphasizes that even if the scientific publications are not all unequivocal, some demonstrate that moving forward one hour in spring increases the number of car accidents, the risk of myocardial infarction and affects mood.
Do you have any information to share with us about this story?
Write to us at or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.