Canada Travel Guide

Canada has six time zones, but only 4.5hrs separate Newfoundland from British Columbia. Newfoundland is on Newfoundland Standard Time (3hr 30min behind GMT); the Maritimes and Labrador are on Atlantic Standard Time (4hr behind GMT); Québec and most of Ontario are on Eastern Standard Time (5hr behind GMT); Manitoba, the northwest corner of Ontario and eastern Saskatchewan are on Central Standard Time (6hr behind GMT); west Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and a slice of northeast British Columbia are on Mountain Standard Time (7hr behind GMT), and the Yukon and the bulk of British Columbia are on Pacific Standard Time (8hr behind GMT). Nunavut runs from Mountain Standard Time to Atlantic Standard Time. Daylight saving - when the clocks are put forward one hour - is in effect in all regions except Saskatchewan and northeast British Columbia from the first Sunday in April to the last Saturday in October.

Train, bus and plane timetables are always given in local time; something it's worth bearing in mind if you're making long journeys across several zones. Most timetables use the 24-hour clock; those that do not, notably Greyhound bus schedules, use light type for am, bold for pm.

Daylight saving time takes effect in Canada in all regions except Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of British Columbia. Clocks go forward one hour on the first Sunday of April, and back one hour on the last Sunday in October.