I was too young to remember. Shortly in 1968, Canada's to-be-to-prime-minister, PM Pierre Trudeau met Fidel on friendly informal basis..when Trudeau was schlepping around in sandals on his own. (before he became a politician).

Canada's relationship with Cuba has been different than the U.S. I don't know the whole background without alot of research. But Canadians go there on vacation as not a place to be feared, but for a low cost vacation. I don't ever recall Canadian friends speaking negatively of Cuba .. but then I'm sure alot of Americans wrongly see Canada as a socialist country. (Just because of our public health care system or other reasons.)

When right now, it's a Conservative party in power (in Canada, at federal level) who is doing alot of damage to good stuff in government that was done well.