The world is ditching daylight saving time so why doesn’t Ontario?

This weekend, Ontario will once again set their clocks forward for daylight saving time (DST)—a ritual that many argue has long overstayed its welcome. While most of North America and Europe still cling to the twice-a-year clock change, the majority of the world has already moved on.

The world is ditching daylight saving time
Most of Asia, Africa, and South America don’t use DST at all. China, India, and Japan—home to nearly 40% of the global population—have never observed it. Brazil, Russia, and Egypt scrapped DST after finding it had little to no benefit. Even the European Union has been debating getting rid of it for years.

Meanwhile, in Canada, provinces like Saskatchewan and most of Yukon have already opted out, choosing to keep their clocks the same year-round. But in Ontario, we’re still moving our clocks forward and backward like it’s 1918.

Ontario wants to end it—but can’t do it alone
Back in 2020, Ontario passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, meaning we’d stay on the same time year-round. The catch? Quebec and New York would have to agree before Ontario could make the change. So far, that hasn’t happened.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., states like Florida, California, and Washington have voted to get rid of the time change—but they’re stuck waiting for federal approval.

Does daylight saving time even help?
DST was originally introduced to save energy and give people more daylight hours in the evening. However, studies have shown that modern energy savings are minimal—and the cost may be greater than the benefit. The springtime change has been linked to higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, and sleep disturbances.