I believe that the primary differences rest in the manner in the founding’s of the early settlements. The majority people that original settled in Canada, beginning with the French, wanted only to exploit the wealth, and had no real intention of staying. It was an opportunity to get rich then move back to ole Europe a wealthy individual. In contrast the "Pilgrims" intended to stay, to make America there home.
Canada was far less inhabited than the lower colonies; the majority of Canada population rested on the costal Islands, Quebec, and along the St Lawrence River. The original Canadian towns began as trading outpost where merchants would trade with the Indians; the wealth of Canada lied in the fur, & fish trade. The majority of the population gathered the furs through trade with the natives, and not by trapping the furs themselves. This led to the numerous alliances with the natives between the French and British governments, and the various outpost and forts that were set up to exploit and protect this fur trade.
One could consider that the development of Canada was as different and unique as that of the northern US, and Southern US.
The climate in Canada was far harsher, the population far less, and it was travel into the interior of Canada was far more difficult than in the lower colonies. Through the numerous westward rivers and Mississippi it was far easier to travel into the interior of the US than of Canada. Like the US, Canada was also settled first from the eastern coast, then the western coast, then the interior. Canada's interior was really never settles until the Canadian Pacific Railroad linked the halves together.
The ideology, population, climate, and slower pace of development of Canada resulted in a slower competition of land and resources with the Native population as in the history of the US where confrontation was inevitable.