Timber Dimension Measuring Devices Update

Summary#

The Regulations Amending the Weights and Measures Regulations make small technical changes so that timber-measuring instruments follow a new set of ministerial specifications instead of some existing rules in the Regulations. The change lets Measurement Canada move devices called timber dimension measuring devices (TDMDs) from temporary approval under terms-and-conditions to permanent approval under the new specifications. The amendments were registered on September 20, 2024 and published in the Canada Gazette on October 9, 2024.

What it does#

• Excludes devices covered by the Specifications Relating to Timber Dimension Measuring Devices from certain marking rules in subsections of the Weights and Measures Regulations (so those marking rules no longer apply to TDMDs).
• Excludes those devices from the Regulations’ sealing requirements (the rule about the type of seal an inspector must attach no longer applies to TDMDs).
• Removes TDMDs from parts of the Regulations that contain older specifications (Part V and related provisions), so the ministerial specifications are the controlling requirements for these devices.
• Makes small housekeeping changes to headings and to the definition of “machine” so the language fits the updated approach.
• These are technical, enabling changes — they do not introduce new technical requirements beyond what will be in the ministerial specifications.

Who's affected#

• Measurement Canada, which issues approvals and will publish and use the new TDMD specifications.
• Manufacturers of TDMDs (there are four TDMD models with temporary approvals, two of the manufacturers are small businesses).
• Owners and operators of TDMDs, including companies that measure logs for sale or processing.
• Provincial governments and anyone who relies on TDMD measurements to set log volumes and stumpage fees — TDMD measurements are used in determining volumes for timber harvested from Crown land.
• Traders who still use traditional scaling methods are not required to switch; the notice does not force use of TDMDs.

Why it matters#

• The change removes potential conflicts between old regulatory text and the new TDMD specifications. That avoids confusion over which rules apply.
• It lets TDMDs move from temporary, conditional approval to a permanent approval pathway. That gives manufacturers and users more certainty about rules and reduces the chance they’ll need to alter devices because of shifting temporary conditions.
• For the forestry sector, clearer rules for TDMDs make measurements used to calculate stumpage and trade more predictable.
• These are framed as minor technical amendments; the government says they do not create new costs or new obligations for businesses.