Meet the Canadians Responsible for Updating Canada’s Iconic Clocks

During the wee hours of Sunday morning, residents of Halifax who rely on the city’s Old Town Clock for the time may experience confusion.

Craig Potter, a Parks Canada employee, will be ascending slowly to adjust the clock, a task he has performed biannually for the past four years.

“I won’t be up at two in the morning, that’s for sure,” Potter chuckled. “But I’ll be there bright and early on Sunday.”

This weekend marks the start of daylight saving time, prompting Canadians (excluding those in Saskatchewan, the Yukon, and parts of B.C.) to move their clocks forward by an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Although fewer people now physically adjust their clocks due to the prevalence of electronic devices, Potter is among a select group responsible for ensuring that historic clocks nationwide display the correct time.

The Palladian-inspired clock tower on Halifax’s Citadel Hill commenced operating in 1803. It was a gift to the city from Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who emphasized punctuality for the city’s military.

The original clock mechanism, powered by three weights on drums, remains in use. The weights are hoisted by cables that lower over time, rotating the drums and operating the clock.

“This is a completely mechanical system,” Potter explained. “No electricity or other power source is involved.”

On the morning of the time change, Potter ascends several floors to disconnect the gears between the clock drive and its faces. He then manually moves the gears to advance the clock and trigger its melodious bells.

Although technical, the entire process takes less than two minutes and ensures the preservation of an iconic piece of the city’s history.

“It’s rewarding to play a part in maintaining it,” Potter remarked.

In Winnipeg, a prominent clock adorns city hall’s rooftop, standing three meters tall in white and black. Installed in 1974 as a centennial gift to the city, this clock requires biannual time adjustments by city employees.

Following the 2 a.m. time change, usually involving one electrician, the clock’s manual switches are used to move the time forward. It is powered down for an hour during the fall time change.

The clock has undergone repairs and modifications over the years to ensure Winnipeg residents remain punctual.

“I always check it as soon as I arrive at work,” Pietracci said. “Otherwise, we get complaints from residents pretty quickly.”

Further west in Calgary, city hall exhibits a clock from 1911, believed to be one of the last remaining Canadian clocks made by the renowned Seth Thomas Clock Company.

Changing the time on this clock requires a two-person operation.

Jilian Henderson, the city’s manager of strategic business services for facilities, explained that staff must hold gear train parts to allow for adjustment. Sometimes, multiple gears need to be altered simultaneously.

“After all these years, it’s still functioning remarkably well,” she noted.