Gregory Peterson wrote in USMA 11905: >Most often I hear that the reason why many of our products are still made >in imperial units is because of the demand in the US marketplace. The best >example of this is lumber and home building materials. I have been told by >contractors and various organizations that Canada will not convert our >lumber until there is sufficient demand in the United States for metric >sized products. This has a cascading effect down to the smaller businesses >and contractors who cannot affort to purchase "special order" metric sized >products. > >The official line that I have received from Measurement Canada (the agency >responsible for enforcing Canada's Weights and Measures Act and >Regulations) is that the remaining conversion is now left up to the >descretion of the marketplace. If sufficient consumer demand is placed for >metric product then the marketplace will convert to metric. There are two >holes in this argument: in many instances there is not a metric >alternative made, for example lumber and plywood, and secondly many >Canadian industries rely on the US as our largest trading partner and thus >produce non-metric products for export and domestic sale. If you would >like to see the copy of the of the letter I received from Mr. Alan >Johnson, President of Measurement Canada, they I would be more than >willing to send you a copy (either paper or electronic). > >There is a perception in Canada that the United States is this steadfast >island of "imperial" measure; not a millilitre, millimetre, nor milligram >exist south of the 49th Parallel. Canadian businesses respond accordingly. >The US marketplace is a larger customer of Canadian domestic products than >Canada thus it is the US that is catered to. > >This recurring explanaition you were told about is not said directly by >provincial and federal departments and agencies, but it is certainly >implied. > >Sincerely, > >Gregory Peterson There is no doubt an element of truth in this, but I think the basic reason is that house builders are practical people, not university educated, who do not see any immediate reason for switching to the theoretical advantages of the strange metric system. Commercial and high-rise buildings are built by university-trained engineers and architects who appreciate the practical advantages of the metric system. I have not been able to find a case of a high-rise building built in imperial units in recent years. Back in the 70s or 80s I heard of a lumber yard that had a stock of metric lumber, but could not get rid of it. If the house builders want metric lumber the lumber trade will stock it. Joseph B. Reid 17 Glebe Road West Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071
