UTC ↔ local time

Everyone works off one shared clock, UTC (Zulu), instead of local time. To convert, add or subtract the zone offset. Every Canadian standard-time zone sits west of Greenwich, so local clocks run behind UTC:

• Local = UTC + offset (offset is negative going west), e.g. 1500Z in Eastern (UTC−5) → 1000 local.
• UTC = local − offset, e.g. 0800 Pacific (UTC−8) → 1600Z.
• Watch the date. If the sum crosses midnight the calendar day changes: 2000 Pacific → 0400Z the next day; 0200Z Eastern → 2100 local the previous day.

Trap: applying the offset the wrong way (going west you subtract to get local, add to get UTC), forgetting Newfoundland's half hour, missing the date rollover across midnight, or mixing in a daylight-time hour. These figures are all standard time.

Practice