Hello AU community,
Alberta is moving to permanent year-round time. On Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 a.m., clocks in Alberta will not fall back. Alberta will stay on its current time (UTC-6) permanently.
Computers, phones and online systems were built expecting the clocks to change. If they aren't updated, they may show times, deadlines or meetings one hour off after November 1.
What IT is doing
Over the next 7–10 days (2026-10-15 to 2026-10-23), IT will update the time zone settings on university servers and systems. Most of the work will happen during business hours. You may notice brief interruptions to services such as sign-in, file shares or printing while systems restart. We'll give advance notice of any planned outage longer than a few minutes.
We're also working with our vendors, including Brightspace, exam and proctoring services, and other online tools, to make sure their systems are ready.
What you need to do
Install updates. Accept Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android updates when you're prompted. Some of them include the new Alberta time zone. This applies to personal devices too.
Check your time zone after November 1.
If you're in Alberta, your device should show the same time as before the weekend.
On Windows, choose "Mountain Time (Alberta)" once it appears in your settings, or leave "Set time zone automatically" on.
If you use Starlink or a VPN, check your time zone manually. Automatic detection may pick the wrong one.
If you work outside Alberta, keep your local time zone. Don't change it.
Check your calendar. Review meetings after November 1, especially recurring meetings with people in provinces or countries that still change their clocks. The time difference with them will change by one hour.
Check deadlines. If a due date, exam booking or scheduled event looks an hour off, report it rather than assuming it's correct.
Known exceptions
Some third-party services may show times an hour off for a short while after November 1, until the vendor releases its update. Adobe Sign, for example, expects to support the new Alberta time zone by the end of November.
Need help?
If you notice an issue after November 1, contact the IT Service Desk at [email / phone / portal link]. Please include the system name, what time it showed and what time you expected.
Thank you for your patience while we make this change.
Posted Oct 15, 2026 - 10:43 MDT