canada converted from imperial to metric in 1971.
when did canada convert from imperial to metric?
1971
during the 1970s, the metric system and si units were introduced in canada to replace the imperial system. within the government, efforts to implement the metric system were extensive; almost any agency, institution, or function provided by the government uses si units exclusively. imperial units were eliminated from all road signs, although both systems of measurement will still be found on privately owned signs, such as the height warnings at the entrance of a parkade. in the 1980s, momentum to fully convert to the metric system stalled when the government of brian mulroney was elected. there was heavy opposition to metrication and as a compromise the government maintains legal definitions for and allows use of imperial units as long as metric units are shown as well.
imperial units
it is difficult to judge the degree to which ordinary people change to using metric in their daily lives. in countries that have recently changed, older segments of the population tend to still use the older units. also, local variations abound in which units are round metric quantities or not. in canada, for example, ovens and cooking temperatures are usually measured in degrees fahrenheit and celsius. except for in cases of import items, all recipes and packaging include both celsius and fahrenheit, so canadians are typically comfortable with both systems of measurement. this extends to manufacturing, where companies are able to use both imperial and metric units, since the major export market is the us, but metric is required for both domestic use and for nearly all other exports. this may be due to the overwhelming influence of the neighbouring united states; similarly, many canadians still often use non-metric measurements in day-to-day discussions of height and weight, though most driver's licences and other official government documents record weight and height only in metric (saskatchewan driver licences, prior to the introduction of the current one-piece licence, indicated height in feet and inches but have switched to centimetres following the new licence format). in canadian schools, however, metric is the standard, except when it comes up in recipes, where both are included, or in practical lessons involving measuring wood or other materials for manufacturing. in the united kingdom, degrees fahrenheit are seldom encountered (except when some people talk about hot summer weather), while other metric units are often used in conjunction with older measurements, and road signs use miles rather than kilometres. another example is "hard" and "soft" metric: canada converted liquid dairy products to litre, 500 ml, and 250 ml sizes, which caused some complaining at the time of the conversion, as a litre of milk is slightly over 35 imperial fluid ounces, while the former imperial quart used in canada was 40 ounces. this is an example of a "hard" metric conversion. conversely, butter in canada is sold primarily in a 454 g package, which converts to one imperial pound. this is considered a "soft" metric conversion.
metrication