METRIFICATION IN CANADA

        Metrification in Canada began in the early 1970's. 

       It's purpose was to fit in with most other countries in the world for making trade much easier as most countries used the metric system. 

      After that, the change became bumpy and complicated. There was opposition to this change. Programs to teach metrification were poorly designed. The education program emphasized converting the imperial measures to metric measures. This program was nuts. All you had to do was teach what the metric measures are. How much is a kilogram? How much is a centimeter? Just learn the metric measures. 

     Politics also got in the way. One party cancelled the program when it was abut half done. 

     Some of he imperial measurements were hard to change. The country was originally surveyed in miles. Land measurements were difficult to change although now land is being sold in hectares. 

     What bothers me is that our food sales are a confusing mixture of systems. The products are advertised and displayed with prices per pound. When it goes through the cash register it is calculated in metric. I would like one system used . It's very difficult to check your cashier slip when you have to make conversions in your head. And I do check my grocery slips very closely. 

    Now most of my followers are American. The U.S. has not changed to the metric system. I am surprised and pleased that most of my readers do not seem to have difficulty with the metric system. I used to give imperial in brackets after the metric measure. I quit doing that as people did not seem to have  problem. 

    One of my favorites is Far Side of Fifty who gives the temperature in Imperial and then in brackets the celsius temperature with an EH? 

    So are people just not bothered by the use of metric or do they know enough of it that they understand what is being written about? 

     In this country we don't really have an excuse for not understanding the metric system and using it. I don't think in Fahrenheit anymore. I don't think in miles. I like milliliters and milligrams. 

    So who knows. Maybe before I die we will all get used to the metric system? Heh wait a minute. It's going to take much more time for all of us to get our heads around the metric system. 

MEASUREMENT

    One of the American bloggers I follow , occasionally mumbles about the metric system and the lack of it's use in the States. She wonders why the US is not adopting the metric system.

     The post got me thinking about Canada's change to the metric system. The change began in 1970 and it's still going on. The change was ugly but we can say that we have adopted the metric system of measurement.

     Our change happened in an awkward fashion. The plan was to phase different parts of the economy into the use of the metric system. A special ministry was set up by the government to oversee the process.

    It's difficult to make an overall change as some sections of the economy just can't change that easily.

     Our land survey system is difficult so it took a while and is still in progress. Miles are part of the legal land system. Most of the agricultural system now uses hectares.

     As  a country we automatically use Celsius and kilometers.  We buy gas by the liter.

     I was a teacher during the seventies so the education system was charged with teaching the metric system. We did a poor job. We taught conversion of the English system to the metric system. Poor plan. Don't teach conversion from the old system to the new. Teach the kids about the size of the basic units in the metric system and then how the system is based on tens.

    So now almost everything is metric. We by groceries by grams and liters  or some form of them. One problem is that some groceries are also sold in pounds and priced in both pounds and grams. This gets to be a problem.

   We had some major sieges. One old guy wouldn't change his gas pumps to liters. He fought a long fight but in the end he lost.

    Lumber is still a problem because historically the English system was used so all old buildings were in that system. Most lumber is in English, but some dimensions have changed. Plywood thickness is in millimeters but length and width are in feet.

    Somehow, we muddle along. The biggest advantage is that we fit in with the rest of the world. The worst of the change for me was listening to people complain about it.