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Municipal Affairs
March 28, 2011

Changes Proposed to Standard Time Act

Amendments proposed to the Standard Time Act debated today in the House of Assembly will change the reference time for Daylight Saving Time to 2:00 a.m. from the current legislated time of 12:01 a.m.

“This amendment sets the time at which our clocks go forward or back to the same reference time which is used throughout North America,” said the Honourable Kevin O’Brien, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “For many years Newfoundland and Labrador has had a different reference time for Daylight Saving Time and while this has not caused significant issues, it certainly is in our best interest to be aligned with the rest of North America, and indeed the majority of the world.”

Currently, when Daylight Saving Time comes into effect and clocks are altered, the reference time for Newfoundland and Labrador is 12:01 a.m. The amendment to the legislation will change this reference time to 2:00 a. m., as is the case for the jurisdictions in the rest of Canada and the United States that adopt Daylight Saving Time.

“It has been brought to our attention that the current reference time requires an unnecessarily complicated software patch to some automated services,” said Minister O’Brien. “By making this amendment to when Daylight Saving Time adjustments occur we are eliminating these circumstances.”

The days which Daylight Saving Time begins and ends will not change as a result of this amendment and will remain the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. As software companies will require a period of time to make necessary adjustments, these amendments, once passed in the House of Assembly, will come into effect when the act is proclaimed.

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Media contacts:

Ken Morrissey
Director of Communications
Department of Municipal Affairs
709-729-1983, 685-6612
kenmorrissey@gov.nl.ca

2011 03 28                                                                   3:20 p.m.

 
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