Albertans may never touch a clock again if the province's legislature agrees.
The Smith government introduced Bill 31 in the Alberta legislature Thursday, proposing to scrap the twice-yearly clock change and lock the province permanently on Mountain Daylight Time. The government is calling it "Alberta Time."
Bill 31 Replaces a 55-Year-Old Law
The bill formally the Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 would retire the Daylight Saving Time Act and replace it with a new Official Time Act, anchoring Alberta at UTC-6 year-round. It passed first reading Thursday. Second and third reading, plus royal assent, are still required before any change takes effect.
Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally tabled the legislation and didn't mince words. "If ever there was an example of paralysis by analysis, it was time change," he told reporters. "No more having to reprogram your ovens twice a year. Just one consistent time, all year."
The 2021 Referendum Didn't Go This Way
The move isn't without controversy. In 2021, Albertans voted on exactly this question and 50.2 per cent said no to permanent daylight time.
Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi called out the contradiction directly. "You should abide by the results of that referendum instead of just saying people's minds have changed," he said, drawing a parallel to the referendums scheduled for October 2026.
Nally's response: the landscape has shifted. British Columbia and other neighbouring jurisdictions have already moved away from seasonal clock changes, and the government didn't want Alberta left out of step.
Premier Smith, asked why the question wasn't added to the October ballot, pointed to timing. Giving Albertans only a few weeks' notice before a time change, she said, wasn't workable.
What Comes Next
No implementation date has been set. The bill still needs to clear second reading, committee, and third reading before it becomes law.
If it passes, Alberta joins a growing list of jurisdictions ditching the spring-forward, fall-back cycle ending a practice that has been debated, voted on, and relitigated in this province for decades.
Source: Government of Alberta, Legislative Assembly of Alberta Bill 31, Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2026
