Certainly.
Is it possible to simplify the Canadian system? I would say that the Canadian system works in more or less the same way as other countries in the world. The exception is that, in Canada, activities are controlled by an organization, the Standards Council of Canada. That council accredits organizations in, among other areas, “developing standards”. That is the context in which organizations like Normes ULC, the Bureau de normalisation du Québec, the CGSB or the CSA work to develop standards.
The mandatory aspect is another point. Often the mandatory aspect of standards is brought up. I feel that we must make a small distinction. In some cases, standards become mandatory when they are referenced in regulations. But many standards are voluntary in nature. That is a major tool in the economic development of companies and organizations that want to adopt methods on which there is consensus when evaluating products or services.
To conclude, I would add that, when a standards development organization wants to develop a new one, it has the obligation to check whether, anywhere in the world, a standard already exists that has been published by a standardization organization and whether, in Canada, a standard has already been recognized as national. That checking has to be done before establishing a new standard and setting things in motion.