I don't think it's true that Canadians move to the States "very reluctantly". For most of my lifetime, it's been a given that the top Canadian talent in any field would eventually move to the States, or spend significant time there.

I would bet that most Canadians, even those working in the USA, feel that the USA is a bit messed up on some issues and has an arguably lower quality of life. But it's got an economy that's an order of magnitude bigger and opportunities to match.