Fernie time zone survey results have delivered a decisive message, with 72% of local respondents supporting permanent Mountain Daylight Time and strong majorities across the Elk Valley and much of the East Kootenay backing the same change.
The Regional District of East Kootenay survey received an exceptional 14,345 responses between July 3 and August 3. Overall, 89% of respondents said they want to end the twice-yearly clock changes, while 66% preferred permanent Mountain Daylight Time compared with 34% who preferred Mountain Standard Time.
Fernie recorded 1,796 responses, with 72% choosing Mountain Daylight Time and 28% Mountain Standard Time. Support was even stronger elsewhere in the Elk Valley, with 84% in Elkford, 83% in Sparwood and 82% in Electoral Area B choosing permanent daylight time.
The results were also broadly consistent across the region. Invermere recorded 71% support for Mountain Daylight Time, Radium 68%, Cranbrook 63%, Kimberley 62% and Canal Flats 67%. Electoral Areas A, C, E and F also returned majorities in favour.
The survey provides a particularly strong mandate because 91% of respondents identified themselves as full-time residents or businesses in the area. Another 7% were part-time residents or non-resident property owners.
When respondents were asked why they wanted change, the highest-ranked reasons included better mental or physical health and well-being, better use of evening daylight and avoiding the disruption caused by changing clocks twice each year. Among those favouring Mountain Daylight Time, making better use of evening daylight was the leading reason.
RDEK staff are recommending that the Board choose Option 1: cease semi-annual time changes and remain permanently on Mountain Daylight Time. Read the survey results and staff recommendation here.
With almost 14,500 people participating, 89% supporting an end to clock changes and nearly twice as many respondents choosing Daylight Time over Standard Time, the survey has given the Board unusually clear public direction.
For Fernie and the Elk Valley, the result is even more compelling. Every major Elk Valley community returned a substantial majority for Mountain Daylight Time.
The Board must still formally make the decision, but following a regional consultation of this scale, approving staff’s recommendation would reflect both the overall result and the particularly strong support demonstrated in the Elk Valley.
There is also a practical advantage. The RDEK report notes that devices in the region are currently set to Edmonton time. If the RDEK moves permanently to Mountain Daylight Time following Alberta’s change, residents should not need to make adjustments to phones and computers. Other options could require changes to the international Time Zone Database and potentially leave automatically updated devices displaying incorrect times during a transition period.
The Town of Golden and Columbia Shuswap Regional District Electoral Area A will make their own decisions, while RDEK municipalities and First Nations will also receive the Board’s decision.
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