Fruit by the litre?

[kumazatheef]

Canada's Metric system is completely ____ed.

hmmm ... I think I see the problem ...

If Litres means liquid

;)

a litre is a volume measurement

This ^^^

For pre-packaged products it's been this way for a while, I read a report somewhere that it has more to do with shipping and where it's picked (ex: not ripe) and such ... wish I could find the write-up :(

[pentona]

Slightly off-topic but not really...does anyone want to explain why Canada is so "wishy-washy" on going Metric, completely and getting rid of the Imperial system once and for all? I don't mind even fruit by the litre (once I can grasp what its all about) but sometimes having things in pounds; other times kilograms, really gets irks me.

[TylerM4]

Slightly off-topic but not really...does anyone want to explain why Canada is so "wishy-washy" on going Metric, completely and getting rid of the Imperial system once and for all?

Because people don't like to change.

[pentona]

Because people don't like to change.

Google it and you can find some reasons for the mess: (might have known that Mulroney was part of the problem):

Changeover

Since 1976, the law requires that all prepackaged food products must declare their mass or their volume in metric units, though Canadian imperial units are still legally permitted on packaging. Milk has been thoroughly metric since 1980. In April 1975, Fahrenheit temperatures were replaced by Celsius. In September 1975, rainfall was first measured in millimetres and snow in centimetres. Since April 1976, wind speed, visibility, and barometric pressure have been in metric units, with the pressure in kilopascals instead of the hectopascals (millibars) used in most of the rest of the world. In September 1977, every speed-limit sign in the country was changed from miles per hour to kilometres per hour.

Metrication stalled

The election of the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney in 1984 resulted in the abolition of the Metric Commission on March 31, 1985. This ended the process of affirmative metrication in Canada, and some regulations requiring metric measurements either have been repealed or are no longer enforced.

Training on metric conversion was not universal. Poor metrication training was a contributing factor to Air Canada Flight 143, the so-called Gimli Glider, running out of fuel mid-flight on 23 July 1983.

Notwithstanding the end of officially sanctioned metrication in Canada, most laws, regulations, and official forms exclusively use metric measurements. However, imperial measures still have legal definitions in Canada and can be used alongside metric units.

[TylerM4]

Google it and you can find some reasons for the mess: (might have known that Mulroney was part of the problem):

Google it all you want, but at the end of the day the reason boils down to "Because people don't like to change". Lack of legislation forcing people to change is saying "Because people weren't forced to change".

[XT225]

I can recall when the changeover to Metric started way back when and the Government of the day (likely Federal Liberals) were enforcing the rules. Grocery stores that didn't purchase new scales or switch over their present ones were threatened with fines. Not sure what happened after that; possibly the Cons got into power and nothing happened after that. Its too bad; we should be either all Metric or not at all. Must be even more confusing to tourists from other countries.

[Bsuds]

Grocery stores that didn't purchase new scales or switch over their present ones were threatened with fines.

And Canada Post refused to convert their scales to Metric. They eventually did but like you said the Govt forced everyone else and didn't do their own.

[Grandan]

Has anyone else noticed what I feel is a weird way of selling fruits such as peaches, pears, etc. Why sell in a plastic container by the litre. It is necessary to actually weigh it to discover what you are paying per pound. Walmart was selling 3L for 4.98 and superstore was selling 2L for 3.98 ..........to the best of my memory, but the point is why????
The local orchards in Kelowna offered gorgeous peaches for 90cents a pound picked. I almost made the mistake of heading south to my usual fruit stand until they raised the price to 1.69lb.

You sure have to question the pricing of our local produce these days. Really what the traffic will bear with no real logic to the pricing other than the smaller orchards are cheaper as the packing houses aren't interested in dealing with them and so they sell directly to public.

Love to see a large IGA cardboard bin at my favourite apple orchard. He supplies them and they sell for 1.69 upward while he sells directly on an honour system for 50cents a pound in his cooler.

For years products such as oranges have been sold by volume in boxes. Oranges are sized and then packed in boxes by a number count, same as grapefruit. The larger the fruit the smaller the number in the box. Not all the boxes weigh the same, but all have the same volume. If you don't like that system, buy them by the pound and pay more if you like.

[Urban Cowboy]

Note: A peck is an imperial and United States customary unit of dry volume, equivalent to 2 gallons or 8 dry quarts or 16 dry pints (9.09 (UK) or 8.81 (US) liters). Two pecks make a kenning (obsolete), and four pecks make a bushel.

Our problem is we have too many peckers making decisions designed to mess with the heads of consumers.

[Urban Cowboy]

Slightly off-topic but not really...does anyone want to explain why Canada is so "wishy-washy" on going Metric, completely and getting rid of the Imperial system once and for all?

Because people don't like to change.

The only reason it ever was introduced in the first place, was because the oil industry figured we're too stupid to realize they were hosing us way more money for gas, by jacking up the price then changing to liters as opposed to gallons.

You have to admit that $1.20 liter for gas sounds cheaper than $5.44 a gallon but it isn't.

[westbankkid]

So what is next? Selling things by the Bushel or Peck? Good grief, these marketing techniques are getting very clever.

If Litres means liquid, then why do they refer to vehicle engine sizes by litres? Canada's Metric system is completely ____ed.

Note: A peck is an imperial and United States customary unit of dry volume, equivalent to 2 gallons or 8 dry quarts or 16 dry pints (9.09 (UK) or 8.81 (US) liters). Two pecks make a kenning (obsolete), and four pecks make a bushel.

The Metric system sucks. Gas stations love it. They can raise gasoline by .90c a gallon which is .20c a litre and you don't realize you are being ripped off.

[Bsuds]

The Metric system sucks. Gas stations love it. They can raise gasoline by .90c a gallon which is .20c a litre and you don't realize you are being ripped off.

Thanks for the chuckle.

If you don't know by now that you are being screwed by the Gasco's then you better turn in your red "L".

[pentona]

The only reason it ever was introduced in the first place, was because the oil industry figured we're too stupid to realize they were hosing us way more money for gas, by jacking up the price then changing to liters as opposed to gallons.

You have to admit that $1.20 liter for gas sounds cheaper than $5.44 a gallon but it isn't.

No, I think it was the fact that the Americans were seriously going to go Metric, but then backed off for some reason. Canada figured they might as well start the process of conversion, to we did but only got half way finished. Now here we sit. Half and Half. Note, Milk sold in 4 litre containers is readily accepted; is close to a gallon anyways.
What's really interesting is in the States, a bottle of wine will be sold as a 750ml, yet I can't think of anything else down there that has gone metric. The majority of the World, believe it or not IS indeed Metric.

[Hassel99]

Liter-a-cola?

[TylerM4]

There was a pact between Canada and US "If you do it I'll do it to". Guess who didn't live up to their end of the deal?