Set your time zone before November 1 (Windows, Mac, Outlook)
On Sunday, November 1, 2026 BC stops changing its clocks and stays on UTC-7 (now called Pacific Time (British Columbia), or PCT) year-round. Any computer or calendar that has not been told this will "fall back" an hour on its own, and every meeting from November 1 onward will show up an hour off.
Please work through all four sections below. Each one is a short set of slides; use the arrows or dots to move through the steps. If anything does not look the way it does here, or you get stuck, email tickets@onlineschool.ca right away.
1. Windows
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Install the October update
Open Start > Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Install everything that is offered and restart. The new BC time zone arrived in the October 13, 2026 update, so a machine that has not restarted since then does not have it yet.
-- Windows, Step 1 of 4
Open Time & language
In Settings, click Time & language in the left column.
-- Windows, Step 2 of 4
Check the time zone
At the top right of the Time & language page, Time zone should read (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia). If it does, Windows is done. If it still says Pacific Time (US & Canada), click Date & time.
-- Windows, Step 3 of 4
Select the new time zone
Turn Set time zone automatically off, then pick (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) from the Time zone list that appears.
If the British Columbia option is not in the list, the update is not installed yet. Run Windows Update again and restart. If it is still missing, email tickets@onlineschool.ca.
Cannot get the update before November 1? As a temporary workaround, choose (UTC-07:00) Yukon instead. Yukon is already on UTC-7 year-round, so your clock and calendar will stay right. Switch to Pacific Time (British Columbia) as soon as the update is installed.
-- Windows, Step 4 of 4
2. Mac
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Install updates and restart
Open the Apple menu > System Settings, then General > Software Update. Install what is offered and restart. Apple has already sent the BC change to macOS, but it only takes effect after a restart, so please restart even if no update is listed.
-- Mac, Step 1 of 3
Check Date & Time
Open System Settings > General > Date & Time. The Time zone line will still say Pacific Daylight Time (Apple did not rename it; that is expected). What matters is Closest city: it must be a BC city such as Vancouver, Canada.
If Closest city shows somewhere outside BC (a US city, for example), your Mac will fall back on November 1. Turn off Set time zone automatically, click Closest city, and choose Vancouver.
Cannot update your Mac before November 1? Set Closest city to Whitehorse, Canada as a temporary workaround (Yukon is already on UTC-7 year-round). Switch back to Vancouver once your Mac is updated.
-- Mac, Step 2 of 3
That is it for the Mac itself
Nothing else to change at the system level. The next two sections cover Outlook, which has its own setting.
-- Mac, Step 3 of 3
3. Outlook (the app on your computer)
Outlook keeps its own calendar time zone separate from Windows and macOS. Pick the slide that matches your version. Not sure which you have? New Outlook has a New Outlook switch near the top right of the window; classic Outlook for Windows has a File menu at the top left.
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New Outlook on Windows
Click the Settings gear (top right), then Calendar > View. Scroll to Time zones. Under Display my calendar in time zone, type Vancouver and choose Vancouver British Columbia (PCT). Click Save.
[Screenshot to come: New Outlook Calendar View settings]
-- Outlook app, Step 1 of 4
New Outlook on Mac
Open the Outlook menu (top left) and choose Settings, then Calendar > Work Schedule. Under Time zones, Default time zone reads "Your device setting", which means it follows your Mac. Once section 2 is done there is nothing to change here. Leave Time zone 2 and 3 switched off and Default time zone for new events on Sync to device.
-- Outlook app, Step 2 of 4
Classic Outlook for Windows
Go to File > Options > Calendar. Under Time zones, set the time zone to (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) and click OK. This option only appears once the Windows update from section 1 is installed.
[Screenshot to come: Classic Outlook Options Calendar Time zones]
-- Outlook app, Step 3 of 4
Legacy Outlook for Mac
Legacy Outlook for Mac also follows the Mac system time zone, so once section 2 is done there is nothing to set here. If your meetings still look an hour off after November 1, switch on New Outlook (top right of the window) or use Outlook on the web.
-- Outlook app, Step 4 of 4
4. Outlook on the web (outlook.office.com)
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Open Settings
Go to outlook.office.com and click the Settings gear at the top right.
-- Outlook on the web, Step 1 of 3
Check the time zone
Click General > Language and time. At the bottom, Time zone should read (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia). If it does, you are done with this section. If it does not, click Change.
-- Outlook on the web, Step 2 of 3
Change it if needed
You will land on Calendar > View. Under Display my calendar in time zone, type Vancouver and choose Vancouver British Columbia (PCT). Click Save.
-- Outlook on the web, Step 3 of 3
5. If you organize recurring meetings
Your own settings fix what you see. Meetings you created before the update still carry the old time zone, so any recurring meeting you organize that runs past November 1 needs one more step: open the series in Outlook, click the time zone (globe) button next to the start time, choose (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia), and send the update. Attendees get the corrected invite automatically and do not need to do anything.
Two things to know: changing a series resets any single occurrences you had moved or cancelled, so check those afterwards; and do not shift the start time by an hour to compensate, change the time zone instead.
Phones and tablets
Update iOS, iPadOS or Android to the latest version and restart. No other setting is needed.
Need help?
Email tickets@onlineschool.ca with your device type and what you see, and IT will walk you through it.