I would say the climate is the main part of it. The southern part of Canada is the most habitable. The same thing can be seen in Siberia: most of the cities are near the borders with China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and other countries to the south of Russia.
If you want cheap rent, how about Tuktoyaktuk?
I’m sure there’s plenty to do, too. Believe it or not, the widow of the Nirvana guy played there, I think. ;p
“Only a narrow band of territory in southern and eastern Canada has the climate and physical geography suitable for agricultural production and widespread settlement.
Moreover, Canada’s economy is so closely tied to that of the United States that it makes sense for people to live close to the US border.”