HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1977-09-01, Page 25,r /: ,.
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.• THk H41R4N EXPOSITOR SEPT•PMBER 1, 1,477 -**AA •
vrsion ma• cause for fusC,,ion,on i
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(By Len Pizzey) the intricacies- of a new, one. A. corns laid end to en4.,A cubit, 300 The system was beautiful in its B the end • of September, "
Anyone who has driven on a friend of mine, who's usually of which were said to ' be the ' simplicity,- and it meant that for speed limits in' 30U'm h zones wilt 1
the first time there was a direct,
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major highway lately can't help quite rational, puts it this way: length o'f Noah's arc, is about thehave become .60 km/h..50 miles
but have noticed that the mile is "I 'know it has to come, this length of a man's forearm. The i , relationship between length, an houtvitt-beeome 80 km/h and - �h }
fast disappearing. Distances are metric business;,,;and I know it's a yard was the distance from Hepry weight and volume. 60 mph signs "will be replaced
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now measured in kilome}res and __m6re practical system and all 1's -nose to his fingertip. And the Though p�ti�ct -in its .1c2 the with one's saying 100 k'm/6. The
0 by the end of September, signs all that, but I can't�,i)elp� it, I like the other measurements ` the old system still takes time to master,", change is Tiound ' to : create
across the country will have been old way better.'It Wie Human, ' system are equally colorful in as Canadians have found out tfr problems for some drivers, at
changed to "the Metric system. if you know, wjlst I mean,,' It origin and equally imprecise. the last couple of years. When 'least for the first few days; but it
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r The Speed limit change m Ontario relates to Me.¢ For instance; The Stone Celcius replaced Farenheit, is certain that police forces across y a'
takes place after ttie Labour Day know holy, long 4' .is It'•s gibout plc complained they .didn't the country won't long be
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weekend, and' no one will be This long" -,she says, pointing to There were pecks and bushels, ' know how hot or cold they were, sympathetic with'.those who plead s a .
surprised if it results in a little his sneaker. And a yard. That's gallons and pints and fluid ounces i and most of us still don't know ignorance'of the new system as an
confusion. „ about the distance from here (his that didn't relate to weight what 1.2 C. feels. like. But it's excuse for speeding.
nose) to here (the end of his ounces' and pound's. There' were- equivalent, 54 degrees F., that's New car buyers will find it /
I hough the change to metric fingers). But a metre. Hovis long is rods and acres, fathoms and - easier to imagine. simpler because all 1977 and 197
- has become obvious in the last That?" P 8
few months, it has been going on leagues and something the cars have speedometers
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since 1975, when we began Well, " 'I start to say, "it's English still use in talking 'of i I N O Protest
calibrated in km/h and odometers
measuring , temperatures in actually. .." t people's weight, the stone,, equal Yet surprisingly, there has that register distances in
re
Celcius' degrees. • By 1980 with "I know," he interrupts, "It's to about 14' pounds., i ' been almost no protest among kilometres. Ct
the help Qne ten millionth••of'the distance io eloped, and Canadians about the metric
of the Metric As civilizat n dev
-from the equator to the North and industrialism grew, confusion set conversion. In the U.S.--however, Long with -.us
Commission., a federal body with
South poles. But what's'that in. Suddenly it became important which is also, committed to going
a staff of 90 and a budget of $5.5 P got . Y P g Though it is fading fast, some (�
to do with me? I can't ossibl to standardize measuc, meets and metric, the resistance has been _
Q. -million per year, Canada will be possibly ii aspe cts of the old system of `
Vt fully metric. relate to'thatl And what about all weights and 'volumes. There ha'd ' , loud and strong, and . it 'will be measurement will be,,with us Ion
V c a w o determine w man ears before the catch u" g
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- - The benefits will -be enormous, voce oris�ing , "A millimeter,hla a foot really was.: ho long to Canada in pietrication,�a� a after Fo Football, most f ns" were
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Our goods will find easier access kilogram, a kilopascal of 'all ' , Louis the XV1 -result. •. relieved to hear, is 't going i
to international-markets
ke s;- earticu _, -- human teru t ll me what that is in decided th an Her was to start The only organized and - metric. If the yard was replaced
In ranee
Y -Europe,
t m tric or 1 1" ag ed on the effective 'protest in Canada has by the metre it • would be
' SI (Systeme International) way of Not Human French Academy to come up with come from the West, A group of impossible to cover ten of them in
measuring has' been in use for a better system. disgruntled farmers,' speaking three downs, It would mean
nearly 200 years.'Calculations will There's no point" in arguing• of, through their Conse'rvative'MP's, changing the 'size of the field and'
The Mete g g
system course, because he's right., The -- - w managed to persuade ' the going to the American, foiir down,
��� Scientists, the Academy government, that the acre should
be easier, since the metric s
4 is based on tens. It will be easier _ 'metric system"' has no human y
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to comparison, as well, and` ----- equiya}ents. -- -—•—..�.bar-s—looked-'to;-unchanging-a----not-•-be'`'re(Slaced�'by-"fhe rnetr�c � " - the-acr-a--err. the-'-
rule_,_Bui,. •like.
.• West, football, with our rules, is _
consumers will find less variation The: old system, the British phenomena inspiration. hectare,
are, at least on wheat farms.
omena for their
Y part of with
culture, and it
in the size of packages and the system, developed little b little 'After careful surveys an exten- They •argue that 'the acre, and.
P g '• Ys p y will -'stay • untouched by
weight of their' contents. over the course of man' slue calculations, they came up
y _ the 640 acres in a square mile .: metrication. Q�
with the metre. It was about 39 C
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centiiri s: A•mile, for example, is cher ' section, were part of the culture And though they may not tnean
i inches., B taking one tenth 'IC (�
_. Die Hard a unit that goes back more than g~ y g of the West, The Government much to future generations of
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• -.2000 years--Itwa$ invented by thelength- bowed to. the pressure," and the Canadians brought up in a.metric
of that and cubing it., they
>� But fathiliar things die hard, Romans and it's the distance a:w acre, at least for the wheat world, the o d _ sayin s wjll
carne up h a volume called a
and .many people lament 'the marching legion would cover 'in tre, and it was decided that the• farmer; will -remain in ttre'pra�rie robab.L.0 endure. .Somehow,
Passing of the old system.'' weight P Y , A. -
Y mx' not (00'0 double steps. An inch is the li g
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p gf one litre of distilled provinces. For
the rest of us,: the: am of prevention is worth akilo .
only because it means learningwater, (or about 2.2, pounds) c
0
distance coveted by three barley hectare and other -metric of cure" just wouldn't ,sound;' A
Would be called the kilogram, measurement's, are here to stay. right.
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Jo any location in Canodd
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,Speed signs r.^
It's.a veryeas system, and most you'll get the picture quickly.
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Xf zl ' countries around the world already To Learn, the system faster,` '
MAXIMUM MAXIMUM
use it. Ontario and other provinces "think metric"—don't conver>$; &
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Home. Is Closer, to the Cam us
p g under a• Canada.---'-:•� � to_.the •old Imperial unit of m>�es.Andare ado tin it verde plan appy ,.. .•
MPH - MPH,_,, „ ,
owed by Metric to measure your gas consumption in When' h e y read t h" i 1' Ho
111 e f o w.n News q p e r
- Commission Canada.
t„ - kilometres'• er gallon, divide the
Speed limits are measured in number of kilollnetres travelled bey the r- - - - -= - - -R - - - - - - - -- - i
kilometres per hour (.km/h). Dis- number of gallons used.
- tan`ces!are measured in kilometres
Get, copy of the informa- s( j
1+ xl MAXIMUM X1 MAXIMUM :(km) and metres' m The Paper that I p6c
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- -' ( ) flue booklet Ontario' loads Go; _p
]=t ! _- .._ O �nette is approximately the Metric'; from any Mir i try - _ is - w r i
9 100
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of follows the students Student uFSC ipt'On
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is 1000 lde • One kilometre Transportation and Coo �nrnunicatiatis ""
g MPH MPH l O
length of a long sir"
to college ill ' k e 0.625). office or LC outlet in Ontario. �y 5 year
metres -or 5/8 mile for the Ch00 ar
W (One mil )
e -1.6 km
bistan�e sign An easy way to familiarize I Call I SEND TO ........................ �..,,.•,.... �
(changeover y • ) yourself with kilometres Is to consider, .lamee_Snovlr,
than eoveralrea'd in Mi i ( ADDRESS...............•.
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the time factors invol ed -:for Wistar, of Yranspo tation
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k example, 80"km C50 miles) would,take �, 4 municatio s 527�0240 ..................., ..,..•..............................., ......,...,.. I .
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NIAGARA about I hour to drive at a s I�
peed of $0 Williat>tt CHAR,GEaO
bavls, Prem er (
• �WINDSORh=: mph _ _ .. '
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