By Matt Fetinko

Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday

Mar 8, 2019 | 2:56 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — It’s a hot topic every time we spring forward or fall back.

Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend with many asking why it’s still necessary.

A CKPG poll shows an overwhelming amount of residents don’t see a need for DST anymore and that’s not a new thing as the Regional District looked to make a difference about five years ago, though to no avail. In terms of any positives or negatives to the time change, there is support for either side.

“The most obvious detriment is that it’s essentially a form of jetlag. You’re losing an hour, you’re going to end up with your circadian rhythm slightly off, and it’s going to take you a couple of days before you feel normal again,” explained UNBC Professor Dr. Todd Whitcombe. “The other side of it is that there’s been evidence to show that the light later in the evening allows for people to be out and about and there are fewer accidents. There’s a 1.5 percent decrease in the accident rate on American highways.”

A recent BC Hydro survey shows the majority of British Columbians don’t actually know why Daylight Saving Time exists. It reads while the popular belief is to make better use of sunlight, it was actually implemented in Canada to conserve energy. Northern Community Relations Manager, Bob Gammer, said data shows there are very little to no savings actually taking place during this time. He referenced a study BC Hydro will conduct through this year to see how much the time shift makes in terms of energy savings for the province as a whole. That data is expected to be released later this year.

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