The Standards Council of Canada was created by the Government of Canada as a Crown corporation in 1970 with a mandate to promote efficient and effective standardization in Canada.
As the leader of Canada’s standardization network, SCC leads and facilitates the development and use of national and international standards and accreditation services in order to enhance Canada’s competitiveness and well-being.
The following list includes some of the defining moments in the SCC’s history.
1964 - The federal government conducts a comprehensive review of standards activity in Canada. The study identifies a number of areas for improvement, including:
- Coordination and long-term planning;
- Support from industry and government; and
- Canadian involvement in international standardization.
1970 - The Standards Council of Canada Act receives Royal Assent, and the federal government establishes the Standards Council of Canada.
1972 - Canada first holds a seat on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)'s governing Council.
1973 - SCC accredits five standards development organizations as well as publishes its first information booklet.
1976 - SCC starts selling standards.
1980 - The first certification organization is accredited.
1981 - The first two laboratories are accredited.
1988 - Roy A. Phillips is elected the first Canadian president of ISO. SCC later commemorates this achievement by naming an award in Mr. Phillips' honour in 2002.
1993 - The first three quality management systems registration bodies earn their accreditations, followed in later years by environmental management systems registration bodies and auditor course providers and certifiers.
1996 - An extensive public consultation leads to a major revision of the Standards Council of Canada Act. Changes include:
- Reducing the governing Council from 57 members to 15;
- Expanding the scope of SCC activities to address the environment, information technology, natural resources and service sectors;
- Authorizing the SCC to sign recognition agreements with foreign counterparts and advise the federal government on standards-related aspects of international trade agreements.
2000 - The Canadian Standards Strategy is launched. The Strategy provides direction and leadership on how to use standardization to advance the social and economic well being of Canadians.
2002 - An Order to expand the list of countries in which the SCC can accredit conformity assessment organizations is published in the Canada Gazette. The list now includes countries that are members of the World Trade Organization.
2005 - SCC launches the Canadian Standards Strategy Update: 2005-2008.
2006 - Canada (SCC) hosts the 29th ISO General Assembly and related meetings at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario.
2007 - SCC’s Executive Director, Peter Clark, begins a two-year term as president of the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT).
2008 - Jacques Régis begins a three-year term as President of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Régis is the first Canadian elected to lead the organization.
2009 - SCC develops a national database, a single access point from which Canadians can obtain information on certified products that have been recalled.
2010 - The anti-doping testing laboratory for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver is accredited by SCC.
2011 - SCC achieves recognition by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an accreditation body for laboratories and certification bodies that perform product testing in support of the ENERGY STAR program.
2012 - SCC establishes oversight of four SCC-funded standards being developed under the Northern Infrastructure Standardization Initiative (NISI), to help northern communities deal with the effects of climate change on built infrastructure.
2013 - SCC CEO John Walter is elected Vice-President (Policy) at ISO for the 2014-2015 term. This new role offers Canada a first-ever opportunity to play a key part in overseeing ISO governance, policy and strategic direction.
2014 - SCC launched its new online platform, SCC Connect, as well as a tool that allows users to browse and apply to more than 450 international technical committees, encouraging participation in Canada's standardization network.
2015 - As part of its commitment to continuing to strengthen its relationships with Canada’s key trading partners, SCC renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and also signed a new MoU with Mexico’s Dirección General de Normas (DGN).
2015 - SCC CEO John Walter is re-elected Vice-President (Policy) at ISO for the 2016-2017 term.
2016 - Standards Council of Canada’s (SCC) Chief Executive Officer John Walter is elected President of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) at the 39th ISO General Assembly meeting held in Beijing, China.
2017 - SCC hosts the 2017 annual general meetings of the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT) and the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC) in Vancouver, British Columbia.
2018 - Chantal Guay, ing. P.Eng., is appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). Ms. Guay becomes the first female CEO at SCC.