BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada — Washington state rolled back its clocks early Sunday morning, while neighboring British Columbia maintained Daylight Saving Time.
The difference leaves British Columbia one hour ahead of Washington, marking the first time in decades that the two border regions are on separate time schedules.
The new time difference is prompting operational adjustments for residents, commuters and businesses engaged in cross-border travel and commerce between Washington and Canada.
Byron Bolton lives in British Columbia and works for a boat manufacturer that does business in Washington.
Following the time change, Bolton asked his workplace to mount five wall clocks set to different time zones to help staff track scheduling.
Bolton noted that while certain systems failed to switch automatically, he does not expect long-term financial consequences for trade.
“Just simply, some of the systems didn’t switch over as we anticipated,” Bolton said. “I don’t think that it’s going to have any significant impact on business transactions-- it’s just people working effectively, being on time for meetings and not getting mixed up with when to contact somebody.”
Businesses on the Washington side of the border are also tracking how the shift affects daily operations.
Dave Dodson works as the sales manager at Edaleen Dairy, a business that regularly serves Canadian visitors.
“We’re very curious to see how this is going to play out for our Canadian customers who do come down and visit us. Are they going to be thinking that we need to adjust hours for the U.S. side? But this is a whole new world,” Dodson said.
Residents who travel across the border are also modifying their routines.
Cary and Susan Houser live in British Columbia and frequently travel south into Washington.
Cary Houser noted that travelers will need to remain aware of the hour difference when planning transit or catching flights out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
“I think we’ll be quite confused going down to Seattle, especially trying to catch a plane or something. You’re gonna have to keep that in mind if I’m going to Sea-Tac or whatnot,” Cary said.
The time difference between Washington and British Columbia will remain in place until March, when the two regions are scheduled to realign their clocks.
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