Golden Reverses Time Zone Decision, Will Stay Aligned With Alberta and East Kootenay

Shraddha Tripathy

9/23/20262 min read

The Town of Golden has reversed course on how it plans to handle permanent time, opting to remain aligned with the rest of the East Kootenay region rather than with most of British Columbia.

Earlier this month, Golden announced that after one final clock change on Nov. 1, the community would remain on permanent Pacific Daylight Time, or UTC-7.

That would have brought Golden into alignment with most of B.C.

Three weeks later, town council has reconsidered the decision.

Golden Will Use Permanent Mountain Daylight Time

In a social media post, the town said council voted to end twice-yearly clock changes and remain permanently on Mountain Daylight Time, or UTC-6.

“Following a reconsideration of its previous decision, Golden's Town Council has voted to end semi-annual clock changes and remain permanently on Mountain Daylight Time (UTC-6),” the town said.

“This means Golden will remain aligned year-round with neighbouring communities in the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) that have chosen permanent Mountain Daylight Time.”

The town said the change followed additional feedback from residents.

Previous Plan Would Have Left Golden Out of Sync With Neighbours

Golden had been set to become the only community in the East Kootenay region permanently aligned with the rest of B.C.

The Regional District of East Kootenay had already voted to remain on permanent Mountain Daylight Time, keeping those communities aligned with Alberta.

Golden’s revised decision means residents and businesses will instead continue sharing the same time as neighbouring communities throughout the year.

The issue has particular significance in southeastern B.C., where people frequently travel between communities on both sides of the provincial boundary and across the East Kootenay region.

Several Provinces Moving Away From Clock Changes

Golden’s decision comes as multiple Canadian provinces move away from the traditional practice of changing clocks twice a year.

B.C., Alberta and Manitoba are among the provinces that have taken steps toward ending seasonal time changes.

The move toward permanent time has also created questions about regional alignment, particularly for communities located close to provincial or time-zone boundaries.

For Golden, council ultimately decided that staying synchronized with neighbouring East Kootenay communities was the better option.

Darker Winter Mornings Raise Safety Concerns

The switch to permanent Mountain Daylight Time will mean darker mornings during parts of the winter.

Golden council acknowledged those concerns in its announcement.

The town said it plans to work with the local school district to address road and pedestrian safety, particularly during darker morning hours.

With the latest decision, Golden residents will no longer need to change their clocks twice a year and will remain on Mountain Daylight Time year-round, matching the rest of the East Kootenay region and Alberta.

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