Daylight saving time in Canada 2026 — start, end, offset shift

DST · Canada

Canada observes daylight saving time. Two transitions this year on the America/Toronto clock.

Spring forward

March 8, 2026

Sunday · UTC−5 → UTC−4

Fall back

November 1, 2026

Sunday · UTC−4 → UTC−5

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A year on the clock

The amber band is summer time (DST in effect). Outside the band, the clock is on standard time. Today is marked.

In March / spring: Clocks jump forward by 60 minutes at the transition moment. The hour just after 02:00 local is "skipped" — 02:00 becomes 03:00 instantly.
In October / autumn: Clocks fall back by 60 minutes. The hour after 02:00 local repeats: 01:00–02:00 happens twice.
Zone: America/Toronto · the IANA timezone for Canada's capital region. Some large countries (US, Brazil, Russia) span multiple zones — this page shows the headline zone.
Why DST?: It shifts daylight from morning to evening during summer. Most countries near the equator skip it (sunrise/sunset shift little across the year). Several US states and EU member states have proposed abolishing it.