# Weights and Measures Act (Canada)

The Weights and Measures Act (R.S. 1985; French: Loi sur les poids et mesures) (long title: An Act respecting weights and measures) is a Canadian law governing the units of measurements used in Canada.
Originally passed in 1970 as part of the Government of Canada's plan for metrication of Canada from Imperial measures, it was stopped in 1985 and changes were made to the act. The Metric Commission was created by the act and abolished in 1985.
The act sets forth the regulation of measurements and the commerce conducted using measuring devices. The act provides that the International System of measurement be used with what the act calls "Customary units used with the international system" such as hour, minutes, litres, hectares, tonne or metric ton.
In addition, the act allows usage of what it labels as "Canadian units" (the imperial system), such as miles, inches, imperial gallons, and acres. In SCHEDULE III - section 5, the act also provides for the usage of certain French units in what it labels as UNITS OF MEASUREMENT TO DESCRIBE CERTAIN LAND IN QUEBEC. The five permitted old French units are the foot (the French foot of 12.789 inches), arpent (for both length and area), and perch (for both length and area).

## Units (Schedule II)
### Length

| unit name | unit name | official definition | metric equivalent |
| English | French | official definition | metric equivalent |
| mile | mille | 1,760 yd | 1.609344 km |
| furlong | furlong | 220 yd | 201.168 m |
| rod, pole or perch | perche | 5+1⁄2 yd | 5.0292 m |
| yard | yard or verge | 9,144⁄10,000 m | 914.4 mm |
| foot | pied | 1⁄3 yd | 304.8 mm |
| inch | pouce | 1⁄36 yd | 25.4 mm |
| chain | chaîne | 22 yd | 20.1168 m |
| link | chaînon | 1⁄100 chain | 201.168 mm |

### Area

| unit name | unit name | official definition | metric equivalent |
| English | French | official definition | metric equivalent |
| square mile | mille carré | 640 acres | 2.589988110336 km$^2$ |
| acre | acre | 4,840 sq yd | 4,046.856422 m$^2$ |
| square rod | perche carrée | 30+1⁄4 sq yd | 25.29285264 m$^2$ |
| square yard | yard carré or verge carrée | a superficial area equal to that of a square each side of which measures one yard | 8361.2736 cm$^2$ |
| square foot | pied carré | 1⁄9 sq yd | 929.0304 cm$^2$ |
| square inch | pouce carré | 1⁄144 sq ft | 6.4516 cm$^2$ |

### Volume

| unit name | unit name | official definition | metric equivalent | US Equivalent | US Equivalent |
| English | French | official definition | metric equivalent | fluid | dry |
| bushel | boisseau | 8 gal | 36.36872 L | 9.608 US fl gal | 8.256 US dry gal |
| peck | quart de boisseau | 2 gal | 9.09218 L | 2.402 US fl gal | 2.064 US dry gal |
| gallon | gallon | 454,609⁄100,000,000 m$^3$ | 4.54609 L | 1.201 US fl gal | 1.032 US dry gal |
| quart | pinte | 1⁄4 gal | 1.1365225 L | 1.201 US qt | |
| pint | chopine | 1⁄8 gal | 568.26125 mL | 1.201 US pt | |
| gill | roquille | 1⁄32 gal | 142.0653125 mL | 4.804 US fl oz | |
| fluid ounce | once fluide | 1⁄160 gal | 28.4130625 mL | 0.9608 US fl oz | |
| fluid dram | drachme fluide | 1⁄8 fl oz | 3.5516328125 mL | 0.1201 US fl oz | |
| cubic yard | yard cube or verge cube | a volume equal to that of a cube each side of which measures one yard | 764.554857984 dm$^3$ | | |
| cubic foot | pied cube | 1⁄27 cu yd | 28.316846592 dm$^3$ | | |
| cubic inch | pouce cube | 1⁄1,728 cu ft | 16.387064 cm$^3$ | | |

### Mass

| unit name | unit name | official definition | metric equivalent |
| English | French | official definition | metric equivalent |
| ton | tonne | 2,000 lb | 907.18474 kg |
| cental or hundredweight | quintal | 100 lb | 45.359237 kg |
| pound | livre | 0.45359237 kg | 453.59237 g |
| ounce | once | 1⁄16 lb or 437+1⁄2 grains | 28.349523 g |
| dram | drachme | 1⁄16 oz | 1.771845195 g |
| grain | grain | 1⁄7,000 lb | 64.79891 mg |
| precious metals ||||
| troy ounce | once troy | 480 grains | 31.1034768 g |
| precious stones and gem stones ||||
| carat | carat | 200 mg | 200 mg |

## Quebec land measure (Schedule III)

| unit name | official definition | metric equivalent |
| foot (French measure or Paris foot) | 12.789 inches | ≈ 32.48 cm |
| arpent, as a measure of length | 180 feet (French measure) | ≈ 58.47 m |
| arpent, as a measure of area | 32 400 square feet (French measure) | ≈ 3,418.89 m$^2$ |
| perch, as a measure of length | 18 feet (French measure) | ≈ 5.85 m |
| perch, as a measure of area | 324 square feet (French measure) | ≈ 34.19 m$^2$ |