An American in Canada: Metric Utopia

In which I describe the confusion of the measurement systems in use in Canada. America may be out of touch with the rest of the metric world, but at least we're consistently out of touch.

[bremer]

The main reason for this mesh up might be, that canada trade a lot with the US.

Stop measuring Earth-Moon distance with your feet.

[Crushonius]

they are not calling it the imperial system
IT SIMPLY IS THE IMPERIAL SYSTEM

[WorksOnMyComputer]

There is still the feet vs cm issue in Australia. Part of it is generational as people like me were around in the old system when Australia changed to metric in the seventies. I use metric for almost everything, but still think of my height in feet and inches. My kids however only think in metric and when my generation is gone, so is the last remnant of the imperial system in Australia.

Of course Canada has the same issues, but worse, as it also happens to sit next to the largest user of the imperial system left in the world. One which it trades with and can't help but be influenced by, so really no big surprises there.

[uomodonore]

Canada is metric-ish. By the way, it is called the Imperial System because it was the system of the British Empire. The United States inherited that system from Britain.

[super_slav]

If you want an English speaking metric utopia, come to Australia.

[epsilona]

Come to Australia and you shall get your metric utopia.

[rogermwilcox]

One U.S. liquid gallon = 3.785 liters
One Imperial gallon = 4.546 liters

The U.S. does NOT use the Imperial system.

[ssokolow]

I'm not sure about pounds, but my understanding is, the biggest reason we use feet and inches is that the U.S. is the biggest customer for our lumber industry, so we cut our lumber to American measurements, and all our construction-related measurements then follow from that and, if we're using feet and inches for all of that, why bother using a different system for measuring the height/length of everything else?

Basically, we're too closely connected to the U.S. to get away from American measurements entirely.

...now the U.K. still using miles for measuring distance? They don't really have *any* excuse.

[Intoxicatious]

Most of the confusion just comes from our proximity to USA. Many of our food items are imported from USA. This leads to the items being bought and sold using the Imperial system. As you've shown, some packages just use both systems. In everyday speech, we tend to use Imperial for the human body (height, weight, temperature) and Metric for everything else.

[johnnyonline]

Canada and the UK still have vestiges of the old ways, but Australia and New Zealand are 100% Metric.

[Roel_Scoot]

Canada was a once, as the US a part of the British IMPERIUM hence Imperial System but adopted the Metric System because this was easier to use (10 based calculations) and because most of the world used it. Even in Britain they did this reluctantly, and the US tried it also, but failed!

[kenmolinaro]

You missed the most common distance measure: Minutes

For example, "How far to you have to drive to get to work?"
"Oh, it's about 20 minutes away."

[ydela]

Here in Belgium, where the metric system is almost 195 yo (1816), the last bastion of old system was indeed the local grocery markets and cooking recipes. And it fade away in the 60s-70s. The pound of butter survived little longer, but today, the only that is left is the half pint of beer. In pubs, you still order "un demi", meaning half a pint. And very few know half of what is this "half".
So no worry, in 150 years it will be all gone in Canada.

[benw-lk]

I was so confused when you said centimetre, took me a good 8 seconds to realise the pronunciation was so off :D

[God_of_Bacon]

you can`t use the american system when you work in microbiology or nanotechnology
even in space if you want to work with the other nations

[LesVentilateursduQuebec]

The use of metric system in Canada is also a generational and geographical thing. Canadians born in 1970-present trend to use a lot more the metric system. The people of Québec have adopted the metric system in their daily lives better than in the rest of the country. Some Québecois born after 1969 use and understand only the metric system.

[bighugejake]

Canadian hardware stores are utopias of completely inconsistent measuring systems. it's truly amazing.

[dalekkiller]

My height and weight is in metric on my license.

[matiashogden]

Centimeters use the same pronunciation as Cent btw