Daylight Saving Time (DST) is over in Alberta and gained an hour on Sunday, but what do people think about the process?

When it comes time to “step back” and get an extra hour in the early morning, many people don’t mind the time change.

“An extra hour of sleep doesn’t hurt anyone,” Brendan of Edmonton said Sunday.

“I’m liking it right now, it’s a little tough in the spring when we have to jump ahead again,” said Linda from Edmonton. “I work in a school and the kids all get so tired then.”

There are benefits to the time change, including saving energy in the summer by reducing the need for artificial lighting in the evenings and encouraging more outdoor activities in warm weather.

DST is a divisive issue in Alberta. 2021 referendum proved it.

The choice was to adopt year-round DST or keep the time change active.

According to the results, 50.2 percent (536,874) of voters chose not to adopt DST during the year.

In 2021, experts warned that getting rid of the time change would be beneficial, but adopting DST year-round would be a bad idea.

Circadian rhythm expert Dr. from the University of Calgary. “We are so far north that our days are so short, which means we will feel the negative effects of being at the wrong time even more,” said Michael Antle.

“It really disrupts my sleep cycle, my dog’s sleep cycle,” said Mary from Edmonton.

“I work shifts, so it’s hard for me to even adjust to working shifts, and then when they start changing times it gets even harder.”

Albertans aren’t the only ones tired of changing the clocks, change.org petition A proposal to the federal government to repeal DST currently has more than 88,000 signatures.

According to Anita Layton, professor of biology and mathematics at the University of Waterloo, time change is known to have negative effects on people.

“We all have an internal clock, even if we don’t hear it ticking,” Layton told CTV News. “It tells you when you need to wake up, why you need to eat, when you need to go to bed. And light is a very important regulator of this circadian rhythm.

“So when you change the amount of light you’re exposed to, you throw everything away.”

Layton adds that heart attack cases increase with the change of time in the spring months.

There is also an increase in traffic accidents and workplace injuries in the days following the time change. research From the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

Ontario and BC currently have laws in place to repeal the time change, but other jurisdictions must also eliminate DST before those provinces can take action.

Quebec is currently interested in residents’ views on the time change but is not committing to any legislation at this time.

There is no DST in Saskatchewan and Yukon.

Currently, Alberta will return to DST on March 9 next year.

Files from CTV News Edmonton’s Adel Ahmed and CTV News Kitchener’s Spencer Turcotte