It’s a topic that divides people twice a year when we either fall back or spring forward for Daylight Saving Time.

Now Grand Forks wants to scrap it completely, but the province’s new premier says that’s not happening — at least not right now.

The issue came up at the annual Union of BC Municipalities meeting in the fall and Premier John Horgan said if British Columbians want to make the idea a reality, they’d have to work for it.

Delegates at the UBCM voted 62 per cent in favour of a resolution from Grand Forks to seek support from the provincial government. This is the third time the issue has come up at the meeting.

The matter now entered as private members bill by local MLA for Grand Fork Linda Larson.

Without support of members of the legislature  – both sides – the matter will fall off the order paper.

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BILL M210 — INTERPRETATION AMENDMENT ACT, 2017

L. Larson presented a bill titled – “Interpretation Amendment Act, 2017”.

L. Larson: I move that a bill, Interpretation Amendment Act, 2017, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and now read a first time.

Twice a year the changing of our clocks forward or back one hour creates a flurry of articles and discussion. Studies continue to be published about the negative impacts on our health that have documented an increase in both heart attacks and car accidents in the days immediately following the time shift. Studies have also identified losses to the economy from a lack of productivity directly related to this time shift.

The practice of moving our clocks forward and back began in 1918, as a way to use less coal during the First World War. It was phased out after the Second World War and then uniformly reinstated across North America in the 1960’s.

The City of Grand Forks introduced a resolution at the 2017 Union of B.C. Municipalities annual convention to eliminate daylight savings time, which was endorsed by the membership. A subsequent on-line survey showed that 85 percent of responders were supportive of the elimination of daylight savings time.

The elimination of daylight savings time requires changes to the Interpretation Act, as set out in this bill. This bill will also make consequential amendments to the Community Charter, Election Act, Local Government Act, Vancouver Charter and Wildfire Act, or any other act, regulation, rule, order, bylaw, agreement or other instrument or document referring to Pacific Daylight Time.

It will be 100 years, in the spring of 2018, since the time shift was introduced. I believe it’s the time to end it.

Mr. Speaker: Members, the question is first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

L. Larson: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill M210, Interpretation Amendment Act, 2017, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.