British Columbia time referendum, 1972
Encyclopedia
The British Columbia time referendum, 1972 was a referendum
held in British Columbia
on August 30, 1972, simultaneously with a general election
. The actual referendum only took place in four electoral districts and part of a fifth, all located in the northeast or southeast parts of the province. The purpose of the vote was to determine which areas favoured following Mountain Time rather than Pacific Time and whether to follow daylight saving time
or not. All areas chose to follow Mountain Time.
. Areas in the Peace River Country and Southeast were economically tied to Alberta, and hence were also on Mountain Time.
The question was:
and part of a fifth took part in the referendum. The two ridings in the northeastern part of the province were North Peace River
and South Peace River
. The two ridings in the southeastern part were Columbia River
and Kootenay
. Residents of Nelson-Creston
east of an imaginary line running through Kootenay Lake
and the Kootenay River
that bisected that riding also took part.
s in British Columbia ended up being different from the provincial boundary.
The northeast is on Mountain Standard Time year-round, without daylight saving time
. In practice, this means that time there is identical with Alberta's in the winter and the rest of BC's in summer. The southeast is similar, with most of the applicable area on Mountain Time and following DST. The Creston
area is exceptional, ignoring DST. This puts that town in a situation similar to the northeast.
Since the time referendum the issue has flared up in Creston politics at least twice. At least two referendums have been held, neither of which succeeded in changing the status quo.
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
held in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
on August 30, 1972, simultaneously with a general election
British Columbia general election, 1972
The 30th general election for the Canadian province of British Columbia was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 24, 1972, and held on August 30, 1972...
. The actual referendum only took place in four electoral districts and part of a fifth, all located in the northeast or southeast parts of the province. The purpose of the vote was to determine which areas favoured following Mountain Time rather than Pacific Time and whether to follow daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
or not. All areas chose to follow Mountain Time.
Lead-up
The referendum was the result of events in Alberta where, in 1971, Albertans voted to enact daylight saving timeDaylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
. Areas in the Peace River Country and Southeast were economically tied to Alberta, and hence were also on Mountain Time.
The question was:
"Are you in favour of Pacific Standard time, including Pacific Daylight Saving time, as it is applicable now throughout the province?"
Results
Only four ridingsElectoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
and part of a fifth took part in the referendum. The two ridings in the northeastern part of the province were North Peace River
North Peace River
North Peace River was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia beginning with the election of 1956...
and South Peace River
South Peace River
South Peace River was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia beginning with the election of 1956...
. The two ridings in the southeastern part were Columbia River
Columbia River (electoral district)
Columbia River was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1966 to 1986. The riding's predecessor, which was named Columbia, appeared on the hustings from 1903 to 1963...
and Kootenay
Kootenay (electoral district)
Kootenay was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1917.This riding was created in 1903 from parts of Yale—Cariboo riding....
. Residents of Nelson-Creston
Nelson-Creston
Nelson-Creston is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It made its first appearance on the hustings in the general election of 1933 following a redistribution of the earlier Nelson riding....
east of an imaginary line running through Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s-70s, has changed the ecosystem in and around the water...
and the Kootenay River
Kootenay River
The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
that bisected that riding also took part.
| District | Yes | Percentage | No | Percentage | Rejected | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia River Columbia River (electoral district) Columbia River was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1966 to 1986. The riding's predecessor, which was named Columbia, appeared on the hustings from 1903 to 1963... |
1366 | 34.95 | 2445 | 62.56 | 97 | 3908 |
| Kootenay Kootenay (electoral district) Kootenay was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1917.This riding was created in 1903 from parts of Yale—Cariboo riding.... |
4583 | 35.04 | 8123 | 62.11 | 372 | 13078 |
| East part of Nelson-Creston Nelson-Creston Nelson-Creston is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It made its first appearance on the hustings in the general election of 1933 following a redistribution of the earlier Nelson riding.... |
1900 | 49.39 | 1947 | 50.61 | 0 | 3847 |
| North Peace River North Peace River North Peace River was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia beginning with the election of 1956... |
1769 | 29.83 | 4079 | 68.77 | 83 | 5931 |
| South Peace River South Peace River South Peace River was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia beginning with the election of 1956... |
1853 | 27.49 | 4642 | 68.87 | 245 | 6740 |
| Total | 11471 | 34.24 | 21236 | 63.38 | 797 | 33504 |
Aftermath
The result of the referendum was Mountain Time being used instead of Pacific Time in places that rejected Pacific Time (which had been province-wide). Hence, the boundary between time zoneTime zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
s in British Columbia ended up being different from the provincial boundary.
The northeast is on Mountain Standard Time year-round, without daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
. In practice, this means that time there is identical with Alberta's in the winter and the rest of BC's in summer. The southeast is similar, with most of the applicable area on Mountain Time and following DST. The Creston
Creston, British Columbia
Creston is a town of 4,826 people in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The town is located just a few kilometers north of the Porthill, Idaho border crossing into the United States and about a three-hour drive north from Spokane, Washington. It is about a one-hour drive...
area is exceptional, ignoring DST. This puts that town in a situation similar to the northeast.
Since the time referendum the issue has flared up in Creston politics at least twice. At least two referendums have been held, neither of which succeeded in changing the status quo.