What is happening?
Beginning November 1, 2026, British Columbia will no longer switch back to Standard Time each fall. Instead, BC will remain on UTC-07:00 year-round.
As this is a province-wide change, organizations across BC will be adapting to updates from software vendors and service providers. IT Services is taking steps to ensure the smoothest possible transition and appreciates your patience as these changes take effect.
To align with BC’s new year-round time standard, Microsoft has introduced a new time zone: (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia).
What do I need to do?
1. Restart your UFV computer when prompted.
An update containing the new BC time zone is being deployed to UFV-managed Windows computers. Once installed, your computer will automatically switch to the new BC time zone.
2. Check your Outlook time zone.
If you use Outlook on the web or the new Outlook, verify that your calendar time zone is set to:
(UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia)
If you use Classic Outlook, no action is required. Your Outlook time zone will update automatically based on your computer’s settings.
3. Update meetings you organized.
If you organize meetings scheduled for November 1, 2026 or later, especially recurring meetings, review and update them as needed. Existing meetings will not automatically switch to the new BC time zone.
Step-by-step instructions with screenshots are in the IT Service Desk article: British Columbia Time Zone Change – Outlook calendar time zone settings.
Important Notes
• You only need to update meetings that you organized. If you were invited to a meeting, the organizer is responsible for updating it. Once they do, the revised meeting time will be reflected on your calendar.
• For recurring meetings, updating the time zone may reset any changes made to individual occurrences within the series. If you previously adjusted a single occurrence, you may need to reapply those changes after updating the meeting series.
During the first weeks of November
Please pay extra attention to meeting times, particularly for meetings involving participants outside British Columbia. If a meeting time appears incorrect, confirm the expected time with the organizer.
If your computer clock shows the wrong time after November 1, restart your computer. If the issue persists, contact the IT Service Desk
Questions
Contact the IT Service Desk at itservicedesk.ufv.ca, email itservicedesk@ufv.ca, or call local 4610 / 604-864-4610.