The Metric Commission was an agency established by the federal government in 1971 to facilitate Canada’s conversion to the metric system from the imperial system of weights and measures. Gottschalk+Ash incorporated a stylized maple leaf in the letter M, ensuring the metric symbol was simple enough that children could easily incorporate it in their school projects. It was also made adaptable for many different uses at a wide range of sizes.
Although trademarked by the Commission, the logo was free to use by any organization producing Canadian metric products. Usually shown in red, the metric symbol could be adapted to a wide variety of reproductions, including other shades of red, as well as black or white on a red background. It was versatile enough to work well, whether embossed on the head of a bolt or appearing on packaging or a sheet of plywood.