Vancouver – Penticton – Calgary – Winnipeg – Toronto – Ottawa – Fredericton – Halifax
Canada’s more densely populated areas get approximately 2,000 hours of bright sunshine annually. (These are the locations within two or three hundred kilometres of the US border)
The prairies of central Canada enjoy three or four hundred hours more than this, while near the east coast (e.g. Halifax, Nova Scotia), annual sunshine levels are nearer 1,700 – 1,800 hours, lowered by fog coming in from the Atlantic Ocean.
Pacific Canada
British Columbia has rather dull (and wet) winters, compensated for by sunny summers.
Prairie Canada
Stretching across the centre of Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba enjoy more sunshine all year round than Canada’s other provinces.
Eastern Canada
Sunshine is better distributed than in Pacific Canada, so Toronto enjoys more winter sunshine than Vancouver but gets fewer sun hours during summer.
Average Sunshine Hours per Day Calgary vs Vancouver vs Toronto
Average Daily Sunshine Hours Canadian Cities Compared
| Month | Vancouver, BC |
Penticton, BC |
Calgary, AB |
Winnipeg, MB |
Toronto, ON |
Ottawa, ON |
Fredericton, NB |
Halifax, NS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | 2.0 | 1.3 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 2.9 |
| Feb. | 3.0 | 2.8 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.0 |
| Mar. | 4.3 | 4.6 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 4.1 |
| Apr. | 6.1 | 6.5 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 5.3 | 4.5 |
| May | 7.4 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 9.2 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 6.3 |
| Jun. | 7.6 | 8.2 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 7.3 | 7.5 |
| Jul. | 9.5 | 9.5 | 10.2 | 10.2 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| Aug. | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 7.2 |
| Sep. | 6.6 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.4 |
| Oct. | 4.0 | 4.6 | 5.8 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
| Nov. | 2.1 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Dec. | 1.8 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 2.1 |
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Medicine Hat :
This smaller prairie city has more sunshine hours than any of its counter parts .
Give the place the nod .
It’s far from the mountains and that speaks for itself .
Here on the east coast we’re surprised when people call Toronto eastern Canada. There is a lot of land and population east of Toronto.
“Prairie Canada
Stretching across the centre of Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba enjoy more sunshine all year round than Canada’s other provinces.”
I was born and raised in Manitoba and I get annoyed when people complain about our lack of sunshine. I wish more people knew about the statement above!
Most people think that
central Canada= more snow = less sun.
I am here, on this website, to learn more about that. I live in metro Vancouver, where it is so bleak most of the year, except for about 2 summer months. Yes we get the least snow, and temperature is around 8 many winter days, even in December and January, but with no sun for many straight days, I feel depressed, so depressed sometimes that I am thinking of moving to another province.
RE: “British Columbia has rather dull (and wet) winters, compensated for by sunny summers.”
That refers only to the narrow strip of BC along the Pacific Ocean. The vast majority of BC has lots of snow and an average amount of sunshine throughout the winter.
No that is incorrect. I grew up in Penticton. Surrounded by the ,mountains the clouds get trapped and stay for the winter it seems. No sunshine for months -lucky to see the sun once a month from Oct to May. At 18 I moved to Alberta, now I am happy always as most days the sunlight not just light, shines at least part of the day. And there was so little snow you could NOT go tobogganing even. Cheers all!
Go Winnipeg! I’ve lived in many other places and none are as sunny and happy as winnipeg!
Calgary has more sun than any other large city in Canada
Not more than Winnipeg !
I live in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada and I would like to know it it’s possible to have 5 to 6 hours of sun in the winter for growing plants in a south side large picture window measuring 9 feet wide by 5 feet high?
THANK-YOU. LOUISA