It's time to spring forward this weekend

Come this weekend on Sunday, March 12 at 2 a.m., we will be springing forward, as we will shift one hour ahead to begin Daylight Savings Time.

With time moving forward, there are a few things you can do to prepare both your gadgets and your house for spring - even though most would agree the weather has yet to catch up. 

Airdrie's Fire Department recommends that as you're looking at your gizmos and gadgets around the house, you should also remember to look at your home smoke alarm and ensure that it is working properly.

"You want to test them [the smoke alarms] to make sure they're working and replace or change any batteries," said Airdrie Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention and Public Education, James Kostuk.

Kostuk noted that it's important to remember that smoke alarms are effective for 10 years and should be replaced once a decade passes. He added that residents should make sure they are checking the date on their smoke alarms to see if they need to be replaced.

Expiration dates of smoke alarms can be found on the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked. It's important to remember that the 10 years is the date of manufacturing, not the date of purchase. 

"Smoke alarms save lives. They're working when you're sleeping and they're [a] proven safety device."

As far as other household and personal gadgets go, if you don't want your computer or laptop to be stuck in winter time, you should make sure your 'Adjust for daylight saving time automatically' toggle is on in your system settings. The same goes for mobile phones; all phones should have a setting which allows you to 'set time' automatically, which means you don't need to fiddle with your phone in the middle of the night.

For those who are worried about oversleeping, it's best to set your alarm slightly early (30 minutes) and get to bed a bit earlier the night before, if possible. 

The first country to officially adopt Daylight Savings Time into law was Germany in 1916. 

While Alberta did explore the possibility of switching permanently to Daylight Savings Time in 2021 in a referendum question, the votes in favour of keeping the system as is, were slim. 50.2 per cent of those who voted, voted no, while 49.8 per cent voted in favour of it. 

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