Canada's Time Zones

The world is divided into time zones. The international time zone system was first established by Sir Sansford Flemming. The time zone system is based on the earth' s rotation from west to east every 24 hours. The earth passes through 360 degrees of longitude. Each 15 degrees represents 1 hour on the clock. So the earth is divided into 24 time zones. As you move west you move into time zones that are 1 hour earlier. As you move east you move into time zones that are 1 hour later.

Canada has a total of eight different time zones. They include the Alaska Standard Time, Yukon Standard Time, Pacific Standard Time, Mountain Standard Time, Central Standard Time, Eastern Standard Time, Atlantic Standard Time and Newfoundland Standard Time. There is a time difference of four and a half hours in the time zones from Eastern Canada to Western Canada.

Newfoundland is the only province in North America that has a half-hour time zone difference, which is the Newfoundland Standard Time. Newfoundland shares this time zone with part of Labrador; from Black Tickle to the Labrador Straits. Labrador communities north of Black Tickle are served by the Atlantic Standard Time which is one half hour earlier than Newfoundland Standard Time.