The NWT will stop changing its clocks twice a year and move permanently to its own time zone, Northwest Territories Time, on November 1.
In April, when Alberta said it was moving to year-round daylight saving time, NWT Premier RJ Simpson said the territory would follow suit. On Wednesday, the GNWT confirmed that change is happening this fall.
When clocks would normally be turned back one hour, they will stay where they are. The new time standard will be UTC-06:00 year-round — the same clock time Alberta will use — but will officially be known as Northwest Territories Time, whereas Alberta’s will be Alberta Time.
Audrey Deshaies, a senior communications advisor at the territory’s Department of Justice, said residents should not make any manual changes to their clocks on November 1 unless their device requires an update.
“The time we are on is the correct time,” Deshaies told Cabin Radio.
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The change follows a 2022 GNWT public engagement process in which more than 3,500 residents responded to a survey. More than 87 percent supported ending seasonal time changes. A slim majority of respondents who wanted the change favoured keeping daylight saving time year-round.
The coming shift – or lack of it – means residents will have more daylight in the evening during the winter than would have been the case after a traditional fall time change. Conversely, mornings will stay darker for longer.
For most people, the switch to NWT Time will happen automatically though software updates. Deshaies said newer smartphones and other connected devices are expected to receive the necessary time zone update.
Some older devices will require manual changes. The GNWT says iPhones older than the iPhone 11 and Android devices running Android 10 or earlier will be affected. Most Apple computers are expected to update automatically, while Microsoft products and Windows computers will require a manual time-zone update.
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The GNWT said it has been working with technology companies and organizations, as well as the Alberta government, to prepare for the change.
Brad Patzer, an assistant deputy minister at the Department of Justice, said the territory has taken steps to reduce the risk of problems during the transition.
“Obviously, there’s risks related to any technological update,” he told Cabin Radio. “But the GNWT has taken extensive steps to prepare for the transition and make sure that everything goes well.”
Residents can check whether their devices need an update at GNWT.ca/time, which the government says will be updated as new information becomes available.
