Released on April 30, 2026
With Alberta's announcement that 2026 would be their final 'spring forward' into permanently following Central Standard Time (CST), the Ministry of Government Relations is repealing and replacing Saskatchewan's long-standing and unique The Time Act with updated legislation. Prior to The Time Act's adoption in 1966, Saskatchewan had a patchwork of local time standards. The Time Act established CST be observed for most of the province with certain regions having the ability to hold local votes to change the time observed in time option areas.
While most of these time option areas decided to keep CST throughout the year, the City of Lloydminster and its surrounding area currently follow Mountain Standard Time in winter to align with Alberta. The Time Act, 2026 will ensure the legislation reflects current practices with appropriate flexibility for any future changes made by neighbouring provinces. The Time Act, 2026 will allow time option areas to be established in regulation for border communities that follow the time zone of a neighbouring jurisdiction.
"While our residents have long been used to running on 'Lloydminster time', the differing provincial time zones often prove a little tricky for those visiting our city for work and pleasure," Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers said. "We welcome an updated Time Act that reflects how our border community functions day-to-day. No time travel required."
“I’m pleased to support the proposed changes to The Time Act, aligning the City of Lloydminster and surrounding towns with the rest of the province,” Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young said. “Straddling the border comes with its own unique set of challenges, eliminating the time changes removes one of them, providing consistency for the constituents of my riding.”
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Media - Government Relations
Government Relations
Regina
Phone: 306-798-6095
Email: media.gr@gov.sk.ca