Mountain Daylight Saving Time year-round has been approved by the Regional District of East Kootenay Board following a 12-3 vote to end the twice-yearly clock changes.

The decision means the RDEK will remain on the same time currently being observed rather than turning clocks back in November.

The final seasonal clock change occurred this spring, when clocks moved forward.

The decision follows an RDEK public survey that received more than 14,000 responses. A strong majority — 89% — supported ending the twice-yearly time changes, while 66% preferred Daylight Saving Time as the permanent year-round option.

“This issue has garnered an incredible amount of passion and engagement from the public and that speaks to how much it matters to people,” said RDEK Board Chair Rob Gay.

“We had extensive participation in the survey, and the results were very clear. Over the past few months, the Directors have also done their own research and engagement with residents.”

Gay said the Board considered a range of potential impacts before reaching its decision.

“The Board had a thorough discussion considering many different potential impacts of the decision and certainly gave significant weight to the preferences expressed by the public,” he said.

The Province announced on March 2 that seasonal clock changes would end for most of B.C., while allowing areas of the East Kootenay in the Mountain Time Zone to determine their own time observance.

The RDEK says it will share its decision with neighbouring local governments in Golden and Columbia Shuswap Regional District Area A, which will independently determine their time observance.

For the RDEK, the decision has now been made: No More Time Changes and Mountain Daylight Saving Time year-round!