Daylight Saving Act of 1917
Encyclopedia
The Daylight Saving Act of 1917 was an enacted by the Dominion of Newfoundland
to adopt daylight saving time
(DST), thus making it one of the first jurisdictions in North America
to do so, only a year after the United Kingdom on May 21, 1916. DST was not instituted in the United States until March 31, 1918.
wrote a satirical essay, in which he suggested that Parisians get up earlier in the morning. Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson
in 1895. William Willett
, a London
building contractor, independently invented DST and pitched it to the British Parliament in 1907. In that same year Willett spoke with John Anderson
, who was on a business trip in Britain, and explained to him the benefits of adopting DST and its economic benefits. Germany and its allies were the first European countries to adopt DST in 1916, followed quickly by Great Britain and many other western European countries, all in an effort to save fuel during World War I
.
Upon his return to Newfoundland, Anderson became a strong proponent of daylight saving time and three times introduced a bill to the Legislative Council
for its adoption. The first two attempts, in 1909 and 1910, failed. In 1917, spurred on perhaps by the recent adoptions of DST in Europe, Anderson introduced a third bill which passed on June 17, 1917. The new law stated that at nine o'clock in the evening of the second Sunday in June clocks would be put ahead to ten o'clock and would not be turned back until the last Sunday in September. It is not clear exactly when clocks were put ahead in 1917, as the bill became law one week after DST was scheduled to take effect. In St. John's DST was first applied on April 8, 1917 by virtue of a local ordinance. DST in Newfoundland came to be known as "Anderson’s Time", at least in the years immediately following its adoption.
the clocks in Britain were placed ahead by two hours to allow work to be carried out before the nightly blackouts. For no generally explained reason, an experiment in the two hour change took place in North America in the 1980s and Newfoundland and Labrador
was its guinea pig. This experiment might have succeeded had the entire country or the entire continent adopted it but the myriad complaints of Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans (from northern Labradorean mothers trying to get their children to bed in the bright midsummer sun of 9 and 10pm to people wanting to watch TV at regular times but having their programs delayed a further hour) put the experiment to rest after a two year run. The regular one hour shift for DST was then reinstituted; the experiment is oft the source of humor.
It would seem that the continent of North America is collectively thinking about moving all its time zones forward an hour. The U.S. added three to four weeks to DST effective 2007, and Canada followed suit. Add the last few remaining months and North American time zones will all be one hour ahead of the sun. Just as the time zones of France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain have been pretty much since the end of WWII
— and they all still go on DST as well. This means the sun rises to its height at around 2pm or later (especially in Western Spain) during the summer.
Daylight saving time remained a provincial jurisdiction after confederation in 1949 as it was for all provinces of Canada. In 1952 the timing was changed such that it began just after midnight of the last Sunday in April and ended at midnight of the last Sunday in September. In 1970 it was extended to the midnight of the last Sunday in October.
Although Canada passed its first Daylight Saving Act in 1918, Quebec didn't pass its Daylight Saving Act until 1924. Although the zoneinfo
database quotes Nova Scotia and Manitoba as having adopted daylight saving time in 1916 or 1917, references to legislation and dates thereof are scarce. The Nova Scotian government website cites only the Nova Scotian Time Definition Act of 1989 which is part of the Revised Statutes of that same year. No mention is made of which law of the past was repealed by it.
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
to adopt 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...
(DST), thus making it one of the first jurisdictions in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to do so, only a year after the United Kingdom on May 21, 1916. DST was not instituted in the United States until March 31, 1918.
History
While living in Paris in 1784, Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
wrote a satirical essay, in which he suggested that Parisians get up earlier in the morning. Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson
George Vernon Hudson
George Vernon Hudson was an English-born New Zealand entomologist and astronomer.Born in London, Hudson was the sixth child of Charles Hudson, an artist and stained-glass window designer. By the age of 14 he had built up a collection of British insects, and had published a paper in The Entomologist...
in 1895. William Willett
William Willett
William Willett , was an English builder and a tireless promoter of British Summer Time.-Biography:Willett was born in Farnham, Surrey, in the United Kingdom, and educated at the Philological School. After some commercial experience, he entered his father's building business, Willett Building...
, a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
building contractor, independently invented DST and pitched it to the British Parliament in 1907. In that same year Willett spoke with John Anderson
John Anderson (Newfoundland politician)
John Anderson was a businessman, politician, and member of St. John's city council and member of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland, Canada. He was instrumental in the passing of the Daylight Saving Act of 1917....
, who was on a business trip in Britain, and explained to him the benefits of adopting DST and its economic benefits. Germany and its allies were the first European countries to adopt DST in 1916, followed quickly by Great Britain and many other western European countries, all in an effort to save fuel during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Upon his return to Newfoundland, Anderson became a strong proponent of daylight saving time and three times introduced a bill to the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Newfoundland
The Legislative Council of Newfoundland was established in 1854 when the British Government granted a new constitution to Newfoundland establishing an Executive Council of not more than seven members of the majority party and a Legislative Council of not more than 15 members upon nomination of the...
for its adoption. The first two attempts, in 1909 and 1910, failed. In 1917, spurred on perhaps by the recent adoptions of DST in Europe, Anderson introduced a third bill which passed on June 17, 1917. The new law stated that at nine o'clock in the evening of the second Sunday in June clocks would be put ahead to ten o'clock and would not be turned back until the last Sunday in September. It is not clear exactly when clocks were put ahead in 1917, as the bill became law one week after DST was scheduled to take effect. In St. John's DST was first applied on April 8, 1917 by virtue of a local ordinance. DST in Newfoundland came to be known as "Anderson’s Time", at least in the years immediately following its adoption.
Other experiments
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the clocks in Britain were placed ahead by two hours to allow work to be carried out before the nightly blackouts. For no generally explained reason, an experiment in the two hour change took place in North America in the 1980s and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
was its guinea pig. This experiment might have succeeded had the entire country or the entire continent adopted it but the myriad complaints of Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans (from northern Labradorean mothers trying to get their children to bed in the bright midsummer sun of 9 and 10pm to people wanting to watch TV at regular times but having their programs delayed a further hour) put the experiment to rest after a two year run. The regular one hour shift for DST was then reinstituted; the experiment is oft the source of humor.
It would seem that the continent of North America is collectively thinking about moving all its time zones forward an hour. The U.S. added three to four weeks to DST effective 2007, and Canada followed suit. Add the last few remaining months and North American time zones will all be one hour ahead of the sun. Just as the time zones of France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain have been pretty much since the end of WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
— and they all still go on DST as well. This means the sun rises to its height at around 2pm or later (especially in Western Spain) during the summer.
Daylight saving time remained a provincial jurisdiction after confederation in 1949 as it was for all provinces of Canada. In 1952 the timing was changed such that it began just after midnight of the last Sunday in April and ended at midnight of the last Sunday in September. In 1970 it was extended to the midnight of the last Sunday in October.
Although Canada passed its first Daylight Saving Act in 1918, Quebec didn't pass its Daylight Saving Act until 1924. Although the zoneinfo
Zoneinfo
The tz database, also called the zoneinfo database or IANA Time Zone Database, is a collaborative compilation of information about the world's time zones, primarily intended for use with computer programs and operating systems. It is sometimes referred to as the Olson database after the founding...
database quotes Nova Scotia and Manitoba as having adopted daylight saving time in 1916 or 1917, references to legislation and dates thereof are scarce. The Nova Scotian government website cites only the Nova Scotian Time Definition Act of 1989 which is part of the Revised Statutes of that same year. No mention is made of which law of the past was repealed by it.