From mid-March to early November, Atlantic Daylight Time is observed in the Maritime provinces and parts of Quebec and Labrador. From early November to mid-March, Atlantic Standard Time is in effect.
- Remember to set your watch to Atlantic Standard Time when crossing the Quebec–New Brunswick border.
Capitalization
Usage is divided with regard to the use of capitals in the names of time zones. However, Canadian dictionaries and most Canadian style guides treat the official names of time zones as proper nouns and capitalize all words: Atlantic Daylight Time and Atlantic Standard Time.
Abbreviations
The name of the time zone is abbreviated when a specific time is stated; otherwise, it is written out in full. The abbreviations ADT and AST are written in upper case, with no periods.
Time zones may be stated with either the 12-hour or the 24-hour system (e.g. 3:25 p.m. ADT or 15:25 ADT).
- The historical interpreters at Louisbourg are on duty from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ADT.
- The sun will rise over Souris, P.E.I., at 06:47 AST tomorrow.
Copyright notice for Writing Tips Plus
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Search by related themes
Want to learn more about a theme discussed on this page? Click on a link below to see all the pages on the Language Portal of Canada that relate to the theme you selected. The search results will be displayed in Language Navigator.
Related links
- Writing Tips Plus (home page)
- Writing tools
- Language Navigator (for fast access to language tips)
- TERMIUM Plus®