If talking to a Canadian, do I express my weight in kilos or pounds or what?

Show all answers

brianjames04

The French Canadians are strictly metric.

The Anglo-Canadians are mostly metric but can go either way.

For temperature, the weather on TV or radio will be in metric but the guy on the street might say either one.

Height can either way too but it seems to lean towards inches and feet.

Distance is almost always metric.

Shopping is 90%-95% metric with a few odd ball imports from the US.

When I was a kid they use to sell gasoline in Imperial Gallons, be glad they got rid of that. It all in liters and has been for decades.

Being next to the US you'll find things like tools are both standard and metric, pretty much a 50/50 mix.

Anglo-Canadians have an odd sort of an affection and mild distain for Americans and all things American. They see themselves as sort of the civilised version of what a North American can be. They tend to appologise a lot more than Australians but have very similar world views.

Coco_london

POUNDS.. you can use kilos.. but pounds is just much easier to visualize rather than saying 2.5 kilos.

height: we use feet ex. 6 foot 2"
distances: kilometers NOT miles.
temperature: degree celsius not farenheit

SteveN

Canadians tend to use the metric and imperial system interchangeably in many cases. To use your examples:

- I express my weight in pounds
- I express my height in feet/inches
- I buy meat in pounds but milk in litres
- I drive in kilometres and in KPH, and my car is filled in litres.
- I use Fahrenheit for cooking/baking, but Celsius for indoor/outdoor temperature.
- I measure in feet and inches when doing woodworking.

Canada is a strange mix of both worlds, I think mainly due to our proximity to the Americans, who still use US imperial measurements.

Jeff H

Stores all use the metric system for weighing and measuring so you would use that there. Advertisements, both in the papers and in the stores, however generally include the cost per pound as many older individuals still use this method. The temperature is given officially using the metric system. In other words if you listen to the weather report the temperature will be given in Celsius. Some temperature signs that you find outside malls etc. will give both C & F and people often use both althought Celsius is the most common now. Road speed limits and distances are all in kilometers. The only exception is personal weight where we still tend to express our weight in pounds, not kilos, most often.

knh959

In a deli you can ask for food weights in metric.

Saying your height, generally use feet/inches. (to a point it depends on the age of the person you're talking to. The older the person the less likely they are to equate metric measurements - I always find myself trying to convert it to feet/)

Distances use metric.
Temperature use metric.

You're right about both systems being used in Canada. Officially the country uses the metric system but as I said above those of us blessed with maturity and grey hair went to school before everything became metric (it started in the early 70s). Because we are so close to the USA both systems are acceptable.

.:::Niko:::.

The weather in degrees Celsius, purchase gasoline in litres, observe speed limits measured in kilometres per hour (km/h), and road signs and maps measure distances in kilometres. Automobiles have metric speedometers and odometers, although many speedometers also contain a smaller gauge in miles per hour (MPH) for trips to the United States. The railways of Canada continue to measure their trackage in miles. Canadian railcars show weight figures in both metric and imperial.

Food and many retail products are sold in metric. Some products, however, are sold in imperial sizes, but labelled in metric units. An example of this is butter, which is sold in a 454-gram package (and labelled as such), even though it represents one pound.

smart guy

Does not matter,Most people know both systems and identify with one or the other depending on there age.Most food is priced in the stores by the kg and the pound.The government has every thing in metric,since that's are official form of measurement.Speed limits and any other signs will be metric.

John W

Body weight is in kilos but older folks understand pounds.
Food is sold in both pounds or kilos or grams
Height is in centimetres or as before feet and inches are understood
Distance is in kilometers
Temperature is Celsius but old folks again understand Fahrenheit.

Raine G

kg or g or pounds at the store kilometres for distance pounds for your weight and celcius for the temp

Imaka

You are correct - we use a bit of both for everything, but we are officially metric. Most of us who are 50+ still give our weight in pounds and our height in feet and inches, and have to stop and think about what it would be in kilos or meters and centimeters. Kilometers and Celsius are the most common unit used now for long distances and for temperature, but you will still hear feet and inches a lot instead of centimeters and meters. At the building supply store we still ask for 2 x 4's (inches) and for square yards of flooring, though it will be sold to us in centimeters and meters. Everything will be in grams and kilos in supermarkets. Mostly we understand both, and choose to use whichever we are most comfortable with. A Canadian will most likely understand whichever you use, unless you say you are 170 centimeters tall - some of us would have to really think about that.

calnickel

You are right, we do use both.

At a supermarket: Weight is in both kilos and pounds. For price comparison I use pounds.

Height in feet and inches. I can't tell you my height in meters. Personal weight is almost always expressed in pounds here.

Long distances in kilometers. I use feet and inches for short distances but I am in the aviation industry which is pretty much all American and uses standard measures.

Temperature: Celsius.

I was born in 1978, the year after Canada became officially metric.

Canada is officially metric, but most Canadians are fluent in both metric and imperial measurement systems.

My3Boys

Shopping - metric

Height, weight - imperial, but doctors measure it in metric

Distances - metric (but there are a few people who grew up with miles and won't let go)...all signage, etc is in metric

Temperature - Celsius

An0nym0us mAn1Ac

It will totally depend on the age of the person you are talking to. Older people, born prior to 1970, learned the imperial system, and people born after 1970 would have learned the metric system in school. Most people have a general understanding of both systems, or can do quick conversions in their heads.
Food - metric, unless you go to McDonald's. Still a 1/4 pounder here.
height - Imperial (5foot 8inches)
Distance - metric
Temperature - Metric

I'm 20, so you have an age perspective....

Shopping at the deli .... grams
Saying my height .... feet/inches
For distances .... kilometers
For temperature ..... Celsius+Fahrenheit, both are widely used.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: