Modern socialism is a response to industrialization and as Canada has historically been a resource-based economy industrialization rose most prominently in rura

Modern socialism is a response to industrialization and as Canada has historically been a resource-based economy industrialization rose most prominently in rural areas (mines, for example). Early agriculture in Canada was also steeped in socialist-like thinking, such as cooperatives that were established to supply the means of production, a lot of which still exists today. With that, it wasn't long before the farmers and labourers were working together. Canada's NDP political party was born out the amalgamation of earlier labour and farmer parties. Once NAFTA opened the US floodgates, though, it was compete or perish and that quickly changed attitudes as the old ways were largely no longer sustainable, except where certain trade restrictions were able to be maintained (dairy and poultry, for example). There has been a push towards 'Americanization' in rural Canada over the last 30-some-odd years in an effort to remain competitive.