I'm wondering, I haven't used the gmaps API. Is this because they're proxying maps requests through the US, or is there a specific header request to request the US version of the map, or is it just that they've a US-based GApps account?

Many of these are telcos that use "Buy Canadian" patriotism to get governments to protect them from international competitors. It should be scandalous if they're getting all their web front-end services from US companies. I know Google is the big name in maps, so that may be unavoidable and hard to shift, but if it's also the middle web-hosting providers... that's a lot less excusable for companies that love to wrap themselves in the Maple Leaf.

At least 10m websites are using GMaps to display some stuff:

https://developers.google.com/maps