BC time change has officially ended for most of the province, but Fernie and the East Kootenays will continue to spring forward and fall back.

The Government of British Columbia has moved the majority of B.C. to permanent time, Pacific Time, eliminating the twice-a-year clock shift. The East Kootenays, however, are remaining on the seasonal Mountain Time system to stay aligned with Alberta.

If British Columbia moved permanently to daylight time while Alberta remained on seasonal changes, Fernie could find itself out of sync with Alberta for half the year. That’s not a minor inconvenience — it affects schools, trades, emergency services, transportation, broadcast schedules, and cross-border commerce.

The province has been clear: the shift to permanent daylight time would only happen if U.S. West Coast states also move, to maintain economic alignment. Until that broader coordination happens, the clock change remains.

For Fernie, the situation is even more nuanced. Our regional identity is B.C., but our daily rhythm often runs east.

There’s also a philosophical layer. Mountain communities tend to live by daylight more than by digits. Miners, builders, ski patrol, shift workers, and early-morning commuters already adjust their days to light and weather more than to the clock. The “time change” debate in Fernie often feels less dramatic than it does in urban centres.

Still, consistency matters. Parents managing school schedules, businesses coordinating with clients, and workers crossing provincial lines all benefit from clarity.

So for now, Fernie continues to spring forward and fall back with the rest of British Columbia — even as the broader conversation about ending the practice continues.

In typical East Kootenay fashion, we sit at the crossroads. West of us, coastal priorities and Pacific Time. East of us, Alberta realities and Mountain Time. Here in Fernie, we watch the sun rise over the Lizard Range and adjust accordingly.

The clock may change. But in the mountains, time still feels local.