With proposed referendum legislation, daylight time could be back on Alberta ballots
Article content
Article content
Premier Danielle Smith, when asked about the idea Saturday, said she'd consider putting the question to voters after a similar initiative narrowly failed in 2021.
Article content
'I am open to being lobbied to see if the government should put that on the ballot one more time,' Smith said on her call-in radio show.
Article content
Article content
An Alberta-wide referendum in October 2021 found 50.2 per cent of ballots backed continuing to change clocks twice a year.
Article content
Article content
The changes, if passed, would require signatures from 10 per cent of the most recent general election turnout — or about 175,000, based on the 2023 provincial election — to trigger a citizen-led referendum question. The time allowed to collect signatures would also be extended by one month, to 120 days.
Article content
'I'm just going to put it out there. I think we asked the wrong question,' Smith said when asked about the possibility Saturday.
Article content
'The question should have been, 'do you want to stop the time change, yes or no.' And then we should have asked, 'do you want it to be standard time year-round or daylight time year-round,' because that's where the issue is.'
Article content
Article content
The 2021 question asked voters: 'Do you want Alberta to adopt year-round DST, which is summer hours, eliminating the need to change our clocks twice a year?'
Article content
Article content
Almost all Canadian provinces and territories practice daylight saving time, except Saskatchewan, Yukon and a few localized areas of the country. Clocks are moved ahead by one hour in the spring to make better use of longer daylight hours and conserve energy.
Article content
'Now we've made it so that if anyone who has a burning issue of any type, can bring it forward,' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
27 minutes ago
- Edmonton Journal
Canadians can no longer choose 'X' for gender when applying for Nexus card
OTTAWA — Canadians renewing or applying for Nexus travel cards can no longer choose an X gender marker, following an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump that said the American government will only recognize male or female. Article content The change took effect in February 2025. Article content Article content New applicants and people renewing their membership can apply using a Canadian passport with the 'X' gender identifier but will have to select 'male' or 'female' for their Nexus membership, said Luke Reimer, spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency. Article content Article content Current Nexus cards identifying members by a gender other than 'male' or 'female' will remain valid until they expire, the spokesperson said. Article content Article content Nexus memberships are valid for five years and are meant to speed up border crossings between Canada and the United States. Article content Canadians first got the option to pick an 'X' gender marker on their Nexus passes in 2022. Between implementation in 2022 and March 2025, about 550 Nexus applications were submitted with 'X' as the gender identifier. Article content The CBSA spokesperson said that while Canada and the U.S. share management of the Nexus program, the application process is housed on a U.S system operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Article content The spokesperson said that while the Government of Canada recognizes the 'X' gender identifier, it can't guarantee entry or transit through other countries. Article content Article content 'Not all countries have the same values and legal system that we have in Canada,' Reimer said in a statement. 'As a result, it is important for travellers to be informed about the legal framework and social customs governing sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in the destination country.' Article content Article content Reimer said that the CBSA itself recognizes that individuals may self-identify with a gender identity other than male or female. Article content 'What we are seeing right now is a policy that is at odds with our own policy and inconsistent and incompatible with it,' Sarah Mikhail, an associate lawyer at Smith Immigration Law, said, adding that it's too early to tell how Canada's passport policy could be affected.
27 minutes ago
Man from U.S. caught trying to enter Canada by kayak, LaSalle police say
Headlines Latest News Podcasts (new window) Police with southwestern Ontario force detained 51-year-old, turned him over to RCMP According to the LaSalle Police Service in southwestern Ontario, an officer spotted a man at the edge of the Detroit River with a kayak and two backpacks. After investigating, the officer discovered the man was attempting to illegally enter Canada, police said. Photo: LaSalle Police Service/Facebook Emma Loop (new window) · CBC News LaSalle, Ont., police said one of their officers made an unexpected discovery early Wednesday morning — finding a man from the U.S. who allegedly was trying to illegally enter Canada by kayak. In a news release, the LaSalle Police Service said that around 1 a.m. ET, an officer was conducting commercial property checks in the 1800 block of Front Road, which travels along the edge of the Detroit River. The officer was behind one of the businesses when he spotted a man at the edge of the river with a kayak and two backpacks, LaSalle police said. The officer investigated and discovered the man was attempting to illegally enter Canada. Police said they detained the 51-year-old from the U.S. and turned him over to the RCMP for further investigation. A local spokesperson for the federal police force, which handles border issues outside of official ports of entry, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. LaSalle police Chief Michael Pearce praised the officer's discovery Wednesday. This is an outstanding example demonstrating that proactive police work can yield unintended positive outcomes, Pearce said in the news release. While conducting a simple property check, I'm confident our officer did not expect to find someone trying to illegally enter Canada. Emma Loop (new window) · CBC News · Digital Reporter/Editor Emma Loop is a digital reporter/editor for CBC Windsor. She previously spent eight years covering politics, national security, and business in Washington, D.C. Before that, she covered Canadian politics in Ottawa. She has worked at the Windsor Star, Ottawa Citizen, Axios, and BuzzFeed News, where she was a member of the FinCEN Files investigative reporting team that was named a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting. She was born and raised in Essex County, Ont. You can reach her at 26 theatres worldwide selling tickets for 70 mm Imax screenings a year in advance The country has reported more than 7,000 cases of the mosquito-transmitted virus Countries gather from Aug. 5 to 14, with hopes of finalizing and passing a legally binding global agreement Official says that while misinformation isn't new, AI-generated images are, and add to stressful situations 5 hours ago Artificial Intelligence PM also unveiled $1.2B aid package for softwood lumber industry while in B.C. 5 hours ago Federal Politics
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Canadian Nexus applicants can no longer pick ‘X' for gender after U.S. rule
Canadians renewing or applying for Nexus travel cards can no longer choose an X gender marker, following an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump that said the American government will only recognize male or female. The change took effect in February 2025. New applicants and people renewing their membership can apply using a Canadian passport with the 'X' gender identifier but will have to select 'male' or 'female' for their Nexus membership, said Luke Reimer, spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency. Current Nexus cards identifying members by a gender other than 'male' or 'female' will remain valid until they expire, the spokesperson said. Nexus memberships are valid for five years and are meant to speed up border crossings between Canada and the United States. The CBSA spokesperson said that while Canada and the U.S. share management of the Nexus program, the application process is housed on a U.S system operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Story continues below advertisement The spokesperson said that while the Government of Canada recognizes the 'X' gender identifier, it can't guarantee entry or transit through other countries. 'Not all countries have the same values and legal system that we have in Canada,' Reimer said in a statement. 'As a result, it is important for travellers to be informed about the legal framework and social customs governing sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in the destination country.' 8:34 Hunter Schafer 'shocked' her passport gender changed after Trump order Reimer said that the CBSA itself recognizes that individuals may self-identify with a gender identity other than male or female. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Canadians first got the option to pick an 'X' gender marker on their Nexus passes in 2022. Between implementation in 2022 and March 2025, about 550 Nexus applications were submitted with 'X' as the gender identifier. Story continues below advertisement Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, said removing the 'X' gender marker option from Nexus travel cards is 'a step backward for the recognition and inclusion of trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people.' 'While this policy stems from a U.S. executive order, its impact is felt on both sides of the border — forcing individuals to misidentify themselves in order to travel,' Kennedy said. 'Canada must uphold its commitment to gender inclusion and human rights by working with U.S. counterparts to find solutions that do not erase the identities of 2SLGBTQI people.' Sarah Mikhail, an associate lawyer at Smith Immigration Law, said the change is a 'manifestation' of how the Trump administration's policy will affect trans and non-binary individuals outside the United States. 'What we are seeing right now is a policy that is at odds with our own policy and inconsistent and incompatible with it,' she said, adding that it's too early to tell how Canada's passport policy could be affected. Mikhail said the restriction is 'distressing and troubling' for the trans and non-binary community. 2:00 Trump's executive order on gender identity worries some Canadians She said trans and non-binary travellers may still face difficulties at the border if their passports don't match the gender selected on their Nexus card. Story continues below advertisement 'I think the border can be a really stressful place and a really sometimes unknown environment for a lot of people. And going in knowing that there's this discrepancy and this is something that could possibly elicit questioning from an officer, and have to be looked at further, I think would be an incredibly, not just stressful experience, but invasive,' she said. The Government of Canada's travel health and safety web page says that people who have a Canadian passport with an 'X' gender marker might face entry restrictions in countries that don't recognize their gender. It says that people may be asked to provide binary sex information when travelling — even if their Canadian passport indicates an 'X' gender marker.
