Starting November 1, 2026, British Columbia will remain on UTC-07:00 year-round. When the new (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) option becomes available in Outlook, users should update their calendar time zone and review meetings scheduled on or after November 1, especially recurring meetings. Meeting organizers may need to update existing meetings and send revised invitations to ensure they remain at the correct local time.

Overview

Starting November 1, 2026, British Columbia will stay on a new time zone setting (UTC-07:00) year-round.

Microsoft is adding a new (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) option in Microsoft 365 and Outlook. When it becomes available, TWU users should update their Outlook calendar settings to use the new time zone.

What You Need to Know

• British Columbia will stay on UTC-07:00 year-round starting November 1, 2026.
• Outlook and Microsoft 365 will include a new (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) option.
• Update your Outlook time zone when the new option becomes available.
• New meetings will use the new time zone after you update your settings.
• Existing meetings may need to be updated by the organizer.
• Review recurring meetings carefully.

What Meeting Organizers Need to Do

When the new (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) option becomes available:

1. Update your Outlook calendar time zone to (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia).
2. Review meetings scheduled for November 1, 2026, and later.
3. Check recurring meetings carefully.
4. Open any meeting that should stay at the same local time.
5. Change the meeting time zone to (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia).
6. Save the meeting and send the update to attendees.

These steps will help keep your meetings at the correct British Columbia local time.

What Attendees Need to Do

• Do not change a meeting organized by someone else.
• If a meeting appears at the wrong time, contact the organizer.
• Wait for the organizer to send an updated invitation.

Recurring Meetings

Check for dates in the meeting series that were changed before. These dates may not update with the rest of the series.

• Review the full meeting series before saving your changes.
• Check for dates that were moved, cancelled, or edited.
• Recreate these changes if needed after updating the series.

Check the Time Zone Before Sending a Meeting

Before sending a meeting invitation, make sure the meeting is using (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia).

This is important for meetings scheduled on or after November 1, 2026.

In Classic Outlook

When creating or editing a meeting in Classic Outlook, turn on Time zones if it is not already enabled.

Outlook will show the time zone next to the start and end times. Confirm that (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) is selected before sending the invitation.

New Outlook

In New Outlook, select the Time zone button (globe icon) when creating or editing a meeting.

The meeting details will expand to show the start and end time zones. Confirm that both fields show (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia).

If the time zone fields are not visible, select the globe icon to display them.

In Microsoft Teams

When scheduling a meeting in Teams, select the Time zone icon next to the meeting date and time.

Teams will display the time zone settings for the meeting. Confirm that both the start and end times are set to (UTC-07:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia).

If you use the Scheduling Assistant, you can still verify the meeting time zone before sending the invitation.

Apple Devices and Apple Calendar

We are currently reviewing the impact of the British Columbia time zone change on Apple Calendar and other Apple devices.

At this time, TWU does not have specific guidance for Apple users. This section will be updated when information becomes available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my existing meetings update automatically?

No. Existing meetings may need to be updated by the meeting organizer.

Do attendees need to make changes?

No. The meeting organizer should make any needed changes.

Do I need to recreate new meetings?

No. New meetings will use the correct time zone after you update your Outlook settings.

Further Information

For Microsoft's latest guidance on time zone changes affecting Canadian provinces, visit:

Microsoft: Time Zone Changes for Canadian Provinces

Need Help?

If you have questions about the new British Columbia time zone setting or notice a meeting at the wrong time, please contact the TWU Service Hub.

To submit a ticket, use the IT Public Assistance Request form .