Both France and Britain colonized Canada.How did this fact influence the course of Canadian history? How does it affect Canada today?

Canada and the
lower 13 colonies became a source of competition and an eventual battleground between the French
and British empires.  Since they both had settled the land, they both had their eye on
exploiting its resources.  This would lead to countless skirmishes, the French and Indian War,
and it would lead to the French recognizing the United States in the Treaty of
Alliance.

Today, Quebec, the maritime provinces, Saskatchewan, Alberta and
British Columbia are all distinctly different cultures and economies.  These divisions started
with British and French colonization and are still visible today.