Time Change Act

Bill C-248, called the Time Change Act, does not change the clocks or Canada's time system directly. Instead, it requires the federal government to organize a nationwide conference on the topic of time change within one year of the law taking effect. The Governor in Council would designate a federal minister to be responsible for carrying out this law.

The conference must bring together representatives from provincial governments, Indigenous governing bodies, and other stakeholders such as health scientists, municipal representatives, and people from sectors like public safety, agriculture, education, child care, and eldercare. Discussion topics must include the main issues around time change (including economic effects), scientific research on how time changes affect health, safety, and productivity, and whether Canada should move toward a more consistent, unified approach to timekeeping across the country.

After the conference, the responsible minister must prepare a report summarizing the information and recommendations that came out of the discussions, and publish that report on the government department's website within six months of the conference. In short, the bill is procedural: it mandates a process for federal, provincial, and Indigenous discussion and public reporting on time change, rather than making any immediate change to daylight saving time or standard time rules.

This bill requires the federal government to hold a pan-Canadian conference on time change and to publish a report on it, and lets Cabinet designate a minister to carry out these duties.

• Who holds the power — the Minister designated by the Governor in Council (Cabinet) under section 3 is responsible for organizing the conference and issuing the report; no specific minister is named in the bill.
• Conference mandate — the Minister must hold the conference within one year of the Act coming into force, on topics including economic issues, health/safety/productivity science, and the possibility of a more uniform time-change approach across Canada; the exact format, location and structure are left undefined.
• Participants — the Minister must invite provincial government representatives, Indigenous governing bodies, and other stakeholders such as health scientists, municipal representatives, and people from public safety, agriculture, education, and care sectors; the specific individuals or organizations invited are left to the Minister's discretion.
• Reporting obligation — within six months of the conference, the Minister must prepare and publish a report on the departmental website containing information and recommendations from the discussions; the bill does not require the report to be tabled in Parliament or require any government response to its recommendations.
• Follow-up powers — the bill creates no mechanism compelling the government to act on the conference's findings, adopt a uniform time policy, or take any further legislative or regulatory steps; it establishes only the duty to convene and report.