Time Zone Change - Manually Adjusting Meeting Times in Outlook Desktop App (Classic)

Tips for correcting Outlook calendar appointments affected by the change in BC's time zone in 2026.

This page will provide users with some guidance on how to ensure that British Columbia's time zone changes in 2026 will not adversely affect Outlook calendar appointments that were scheduled prior to the new time zone being available as a choice in Outlook. Starting in 2026, British Columbia will be moving to a new time zone named (UTC -7:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) This may cause appointments scheduled in advance of the change to appear to be at an incorrect time after November 1. 

For more details on the nature of this change and what VIU IT is doing to mitigate the effects can be found here: https://ithelp.viu.ca/TDClient/169/ITPortal/KB/Article/16891/Time-Zone-Changes-How-To-Prepare-For-Possible-Discrepancies

How do I spot the discrepancy in my Outlook calendar? 

The best way to do so is to check the week of November 1-7, 2026 in your Outlook calendar with particular attention paid to repeating appointments and determine if the time is consistent. An example is provided below: 

How do I correct this discrepancy? 

The steps to correct this misalignment will vary depending on whether you are the meeting organizer or just a participant.  If you are NOT the meeting organizer Contact the meeting organizer and advise them to follow the steps below. 

• For Single Appointments:

  1. Open Outlook and Navigate to the Calendar. 
  2. Double-click the appointment in question to open it's details screen. 
  3. If it is not checked, check the Time zones box. 
  4. Click on the drop-down arrow beside the listed time zone. Select (UTC -7:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia).
  5. Click Save & Close to complete the change. For meetings with attendees, attendees will receive an updated meeting invitation.

• For Recurring appointments:

  1. Open Outlook and Navigate to the Calendar. 
  2. At the Open Recurring Item prompt, select The entire series and click Ok. 
  3. On the appointment details window, click Edit Recurrence
     
  4. On the Appointment Recurrence window, select (UTC -7:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia) and then click Ok
  5. Click Save & close to complete the change. For meetings with attendees, attendees will receive an updated meeting invitation.

How can I be sure that new appointments in my Outlook Calendar are accurately timed? 

VIU IT has deployed a fix that will move all of the University's computers to the new (UTC -7:00) Pacific Time (British Columbia). time zone by default. These instructions are meant only to cover appointments that were scheduled prior to the fix being made available. For these appointments, manual correction as outlined above will be the only fix. More details on how to determine if your computer has the required updates and tips on how to navigate the change can be found in the main article regarding this change located at the link below: 

https://ithelp.viu.ca/TDClient/169/ITPortal/KB/Article/16891/Time-Zone-Changes-How-To-Prepare-For-Possible-Discrepancies