REGINA – It wasn’t an April Fool’s joke, but there was still frustration when Canada adopted the Celsius measurement system on April 1, 1975.
“It was really confusing and still is today,” said Doug Alexander, who was a host with CKCK Radio (Jack FM today) during the transition.
He became Global Regina’s first supper hour weathercaster when the station opened as STV.
“The audience was still confused at that time,” said Alexander of the 1987 launch.
The radio station he worked as was supplied with rectangular paper conversion scales, which listeners were given.
“Thousands of these were sent out, and people had them in their kitchens, and in their cars,” said Alexander.
Forty years on, he said that he has only partially adapted to Celsius, as is the case for a number of Canadians over the age of 60.
“I think we had to go metric. I mean, the world exists, Canada exists on trade, and if the great trading nations of the world are all metric, you have to be metric as well,” said Alexander, adding that he wonders why the United States hasn’t also changed systems yet.
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