Starting with Guelph University's inclusion of QR Codes in their 2011 syllabus admissions handbook, the Guelph region has taken a fancy to QR Codes and their numerous applications. For example, the Upper Grand District School Board has embraced this technology for their classrooms where students use QR codes to embed websites and videos directly into their school reports.

The Grand River Parks department in their Information Guide is using QR Codes to take visitors to Guelph Lake’s web page and to the GRCA's Facebook Page.

Farmers Embracing the Power of Informational QR Codes

In the Waterloo area, fruit growers now have access to QR Codes as marketing & communications tools as part of the  Ontario Tender Fruit Producers Marketing Board. According to Phil Tregunno, farmer and organization chair:

“We are excited to offer our growers and marketers new ways to promote and sell the great tender fruit we grow here in Ontario … consumers  are   increasingly looking for information about where their food comes from ….”

The Kitchener area is known as a hotbed of technology and QR code usage does not dissapoint.
As reported in the Waterloo Record, smartphone apps that scan these bar codes for product information or purchase are taking the old fashioned bar code to a new level.

QR Codes are being used to enter contests, vote for hockey stars, receive coupons, order food and link to a website, video or a photo of a product. Increasingly they are found on billboards and in magazine ads, or as give outs at the neighbourhood Tim Hortons. In addition the QR codes are starting to make their way into TV ads which is consistent with viewers being able to take immediate action especially when they're unlikely to be in front of their computers at that time.

QR Code use in Cambridge, Ontario

Let's just say that as of the summer of 2012 widespread use of QR Codes and mobile websites hasn't come to this not so small town, although surprisingly the users to date are not necessarily your average early adopters. For example, Dipietro Meats has its own QR code … although it's on its website and when scanned leads to that same site which kind of defeats the purpose of using such a code in the first place to drive web traffic. Expectedly Dipietro's codes will show up in their print ads eventually (although at this point their weekly flyer also doesn't have it) and instore to maximize their traffic … although their call to action is good "Scan QR Code below and save it to favourites." as well as their meat!