B.C. adopts PCT as abbreviation for its year-round time zone

British Columbia’s Ministry of Citizens’ Services says the province will use PCT as the abbreviation for its year-round time zone code. PCT stands for Pacific Time, and residents may use either Pacific Time or PCT when referring to the year-round standard.

The province ended its twice-yearly clock changes in March 2026. As a result, clocks will not be set back by an hour on Nov. 1 this year. Citizens’ Services Minister Diana Gibson said a year-round time zone can improve overall health, reduce disruptions for families, simplify scheduling and provide an extra hour of evening light during winter.

The ministry said residents may also see fewer sleep disruptions and more opportunities for leisure, outdoor activity and consumer activity. It said small businesses and service providers may face less administrative work because they may need less system reprogramming. Existing local mountain-time arrangements in parts of northern and southeastern B.C. are unchanged.

The province said time-zone codes are used in operational and communications systems and that PCT aligns with Canadian and international naming conventions. Proposals for permanent daylight time date to 2019, when more than 220,000 people took part in a survey and 93 per cent supported the change. Premier Eby announced B.C.’s final spring clock change in March and said he hoped neighbouring U.S. jurisdictions would also end seasonal time changes. B.C.’s approach aligns with Yukon.