this could be a bias for me, i have lived in some pretty remote places in america but haven’t spent long periods of time on other continents

No, it's the result of you being so immersed in your own culture (I guess). I am sure if you go live somewhere else for a long period of time, it'll become more clearer to you what is distinctive about Canadian culture. (I've live in Canada for a while, and I can tell you that there are many things that make Canadian culture unique.) 🙂