A petition started five years ago by a Brampton woman to end daylight saving time has garnered over 87,000 signatures.
With the clocks falling back an hour early Sunday morning to standard time, the Change.org petition to “stop Daylight Saving Time in Canada” is receiving renewed interest.
“Changing clocks twice a year is hazardous to your health,” wrote petition organizer Irene Shone back in March 2019.
“There are many studies showing that changing the clock and staying on Daylight Saving Time negatively impacts our circadian rhythm, causes increases in strokes and heart attacks, impacts people with depression and seasonal affective disorder and causes more car accidents.”
On Thursday, Shone shared an update for the supporters who signed the petition, saying she is happy that the clocks will fall back this weekend.
“We are finally at that point in the year where we will go back to Standard Time,” Shone wrote. “I have been struggling in the past month with the very dark mornings and really looking forward to seeing more morning light before starting work. Please share this petition as widely as possible if you agree that we need to keep the time at Standard and not change the clocks to daylight saving time in the spring.
“We are nearing an election and I hope we can make this more visible to the current government and get their support to stop changing clocks.”
The petition is addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford as well as Carolyn Bennett, former Federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs and now Canadian Ambassador to Denmark, and Marco Mendicino, former Federal Minister of Public Safety and now a sitting Liberal MP.
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However, it is actually the provinces that decide what the time is.
“This Change.org petition has received support consistently for over five years now,” said Change.org Canada’s spokesperson Sarah Dixon in a statement.
“Not many petitions receive such passionate interest for this long. We are seeing a clear message from many Canadians — over 87,000 now — that they would like to see daylight savings end.”
Added Shone in the petition: “Follow the scientific research. Do the right thing and not just the easy and uninformed thing. Don’t change the clocks. Leave them on Standard Time year round. Do not spring forward.”