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Penticton & Wine Country Chamber supports permanent DST

The chamber cited the numerous negative impacts the bi-annual time change has on residents
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The Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce has come out in favour of the provincial government’s plan to implement permanent Daylight Savings Time in B.C. (Stock photo)

The Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce has come out in favour of the recent announcement that the province will be moving to a permanent Daylight Savings Time (DST).

A release sent by the chamber on Oct. 31 explains that the idea for changing the time twice a year was initially proposed by Benjamin Franklin as a way to conserve energy, though there is no consistent evidence to show it is helping.

“There is, on the other hand, plenty of evidence to show that constantly shifting back and forth does harm,” according to the release.

READ MORE: Standard time better for public health, B.C. researchers say

The release cites workplace accidents, missed workdays due to these accidents, heart attacks, motor vehicle accidents and sleep deprivation as just some of the effects of the bi-annual time change. It also reasons that changing clocks in a digital world has “negative consequences on air traffic schedules, train schedules and other public transportation schedules.”

“With all of this in mind,” stated chamber president Nicole Clark in the release. “the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce in May supported a BC Chamber policy recommendation advocating a no-timeshift policy and remaining on Daylight Savings Time for the calendar year.”

Clark further indicated support for the provincial government to collaborate with Washington State, Oregon and California on this matter.

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