This is precisely where I think amending the FPLA to permit metric-only labeling will have a disproportionately larger impact in Canada than it will in the country (USA) that actually amends the law.
Once the "bandwagon" effect takes hold among US manufacturers to switch to rational metric sizes with metric-only units, Canadians will likely see a wholesale change-over to metric only units and rational sizes in packaged goods. That has got to provide (in my view at least) a strong positive impulse towards greater acceptance and use of metric units on their side of the border. Wishful thinking or prescience? We'll find out soon enough (if the <bleep>ing FPLA ever gets amended and signed into law)! -- Ezra ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harry Wyeth" <[email protected]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 1:23:16 AM Subject: [USMA:48402] Trip to Canada Many readers already know this, but here is what I found after a week in the Vancouver area: road signs in km, but at least a few still in miles, same with bridge height signs; lots of signs with "Km" or "Kg" some "kms" private signs all exercise machines at a gym, and weights, still in lbs. and miles grocery stores a total mess: fruits and veges in pounds, with kg sometimes added; milk in nice 2 and 4 L containers; stuff in cans and bottles mostly in US style containers with oddball metric contents which are undoubtedly US sizes; cans of beer in 355 and even 34-something mL sizes a weird poster on a taxicab window advised riders that the cab rate was a certain rate (such as $1.50) per 1.5 km, and helpfully added that this amounted to xxx cents per something like 52.031 metres or some crazy figure! I think fish and meat servings at restaurants often were offered in 8 and 12 ounce options Canada obviously has a long way to go, but this is not news. HARRY WYETH
