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Measurement Canada, a special operating agency of Industry Canada, has sole jurisdiction with respect to the administration and enforcement of the statutes which regulate measurement.

Our mission is to ensure equity and accuracy where goods and services are bought and sold on the basis of measurement, in order to contribute to a fair and competitive marketplace for Canadians.

Our mandate is to ensure the integrity and accuracy of trade measurement in Canada through the administration and enforcement of the Weights and Measures Act and the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act.

Measurement Canada’s mission is currently accomplished in most trade sectors through several key programs such as:

calibration of measurement standards (weights and test measures),
approval of measuring device types (scales, meters, metering systems),
initial inspection and certification of measuring devices,
re-verification and monitoring of measuring devices,
verification of net quantity content and labelling of commodities,
investigation and resolution of disputes and complaints related to measurement.

Historically, these programs have been implemented exclusively by Measurement Canada. However, with device numbers increasing and measurement technology constantly evolving, Measurement Canada is increasingly challenged to effectively fulfill its mission.

Measurement Canada has embarked on a new strategic direction that is designed to optimize the use of its resources and to fulfill its mission in all areas where trade measurement is practiced. One of the key elements of the strategic direction is to review our programs and policies to ensure that our services are relevant, effective and offered in the most cost-effective manner.

Key strategies in the plan include:

identifying, in consultation with our stakeholders, the appropriate level of intervention necessary to ensure accurate measurement of goods and services in all trade sectors;

using alternate service delivery (ASD) mechanisms. ASD mechanisms are a means of providing services that are presently provided by Measurement Canada but which may be provided by others in the future. This could mean some other federal department or agency, provincial ministry, civic government, or non-government sources such as private companies or the trade sector itself.

These services may include:

calibration of measurement standards,
approval of measuring device types,
initial inspection and certification of measuring devices,
reinspections or periodic re-verification of measuring devices,
net quantity verification.

As part of this new strategic direction, Measurement Canada will, at a minimum, continue to:

establish rules and requirements (for trade metrology),
resolve complaints and disputes,
monitor the marketplace, and
where necessary, take action to ensure appropriate levels of compliance.

Measurement Canada has undertaken a review of the Canadian marketplace and using Measurement Canada’s Marketplace Intervention Model identified, defined and ranked 39 discrete trade sectors where goods and services are bought and sold on the basis of measurement.

Reviews will be occurring in all affected industry sectors. These sectors presently range from little to no intervention, such as the upstream petroleum industry, to significant intervention, such as the retail petroleum industry. Measurement Canada is looking to each sector to help define the appropriate level of intervention that Measurement Canada will take in the future.

The sector review team will be looking to form a consensus among the stakeholders in the Retail Petroleum Trade Sector for the level of intervention that Measurement Canada will implement in that sector.

The review of the Retail Petroleum Sector will include the activities associated with quantity measurement for sale of petroleum products to consumers. This includes the sale of:

gasoline (at service stations, cardlocks and marinas)
diesel fuel (at service stations and cardlocks)
propane (at service stations, cardlocks and by bottle)
natural gas (for automobiles)
aviation fuel (for light aircraft at local airports)
retail food by weight (scales at service stations)
home heating oil (sold by home delivery)

The primary purpose of the Retail Trade Sector Review is to establish an appropriate level of Measurement Canada intervention. This will be done by first, consulting with stakeholders to build consensus on the level of Measurement Canada’s intervention in the sector and secondly, to implement those recommendations in the sector. Stakeholder consultation will start early in 2003, with regional consensus meetings starting September of 2003. Implementation is scheduled to start in the spring of 2004. This will be an opportunity for stakeholders, especially vulnerable parties, to express their views on the need for Measurement Canada intervention.

For more information on Measurement Canada and Trade Sector Review, contact a member of the Retail Petroleum Trade Sector Review Team.


		Created: 2005-08-04 Updated: 2005-12-02	Top of Page	Important Notices