Nunavut’s Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions aim to join neighbours not turning back clocks

Come Nov. 1, the time zones in Canada will look a little bit different — especially in Nunavut. 

With the Northwest Territories, Alberta and now Manitoba ending the practice of turning back the clock, Nunavut’s Kitikmeot region will share the same time as the Yukon.

Meanwhile, the Kivalliq region will be aligned with the Northwest Territories. 

This means both regions will be out of sync with their provincial and territorial neighbours, despite being right next door.  

“It’s a concern for us for sure,” said Cambridge Bay MLA Fred Pedersen. “We rely on a lot of trade with the [Northwest Territories] and Alberta. We’re on the same time. We’ve always been on the same time zone as them and this year it’ll be the first time that we’re not.” 

Time zones in Canada are getting complicated. These maps lay them out

What happens when you no longer share the same time as your neighbour?

For Joe Savikataaq, mayor of Arviat in the Kivalliq region, he worries about people mixing up flights and medical appointments because people often fly to Winnipeg for health care. 

“The vast majority [of Arviat residents] were concerned about our connections to Manitoba,” he said. “All of the medical patients that do go there and that’s our main connection and there will now be an hour time difference.”

Because of the time difference, Pedersen said there’s going to have to be a new flight schedule.

“Now, it’ll be a little bit different,” Pedersen said. “The flights might look like only one hour flights now or something like that because of the time change.” 

Gjoa Haven Mayor Raymond Quqshuun Sr. said residents regularly fly to Edmonton or Yellowknife for medical travel and with the time zone change this travel could be disrupted. (Samuel Wat/CBC)

Raymond Quqshuun Sr., mayor of Gjoa Haven in the Kitikmeot region, said residents don’t want to be in a different time zone, but rather want to share the same time as their neighbours. 

“Everybody saying in my community that they would like [to] stick with the N.W.T. time and also Alberta time because we do a lot of medical businesses with them, like every day, every month, every year,” he said.  

At the Kitikmeot mayors forum last month, the mayor drafted a resolution to end the time change.

Pedersen said he hasn’t seen the resolution yet, but wants to table it at the next sitting of the legislative assembly. He said he’s hopeful the time change can end this year, and he alongside other Kitikmeot MLAs will be asking about the possibility. 

“We’ll all be bringing this issue up with the minister again in hopes that the government of Nunavut can pass legislation prior to Nov. 1,” Pedersen said. 

In an email, Nunavut’s Justice Minister George Hickes said the Department of Justice is accessing the feasibility of ending the time change and that the review will be complex and could take several months. 

No decision has been made at this time. 

Still, Savikataaq said the time is right to get away from seasonal time changes.   

“Every time there is a time change twice a year, it gets like, what time is it and what’s your time and all that,” he said. “It’s getting easier now with cell phones, but people don’t want to change.”

Nunavut’s annual time change is set for Nov. 1.