Over 150 years ago a country was born. It was a federation of provinces that shared an allegiance to the British Monarchy as well as common interests in survival within harsh climates, transportation of goods traversing a vast continent, needs for natural resources as well as independence from foreign aggressors.
The Federation was called Canada.
As the country grew in maturity a general concessions on social values developed throughout the nation. That concession grew stronger after each of the two most horrendous wars in human history.
As soldiers, sailors, medical personnel, and military administrators returned from the European Eastern and African battle fields a greater understanding of diverse cultures seared itself into the Canadian psyche. Immigration increased and was generally accepted to fill the needs of economic growth. Economic refugees from Europe fleeing economic turmoil flocked to Canada and were rapidly integrated (within one generation) into the country. The standard of living for families increased and long term roots were planted.
Canada is a vast country with a population of roughly 40 million citizens and a land area only second in the world. Where as the USA has a population of roughly 320 million people and a smaller land base so the question of over crowding does not play into Canada's current political turmoil regarding refugees.
The issue is economics.
And when people's values put economics, or in simpler terms, money, ahead of human values, divisions arise and the breakdown of civility begins. Right now Canada has four political parties within its political spectrum. There are other Political parties that are very regional and or issue specific for example the Parti Quebecois representing some of the people of Quebec.
The Four well known parties are:
1) The New Democratic Party of Canada on the political Left and strong on social values.
2) The Conservative Party of Canada on the right, strong on economic values and moderate on social values.
3) The Liberal Party of Canada which teeters in the middle swinging left and right depending on how the popular winds are blowing at any given time.
4) The Green Party of Canada with a focus that is very strong on the environment.

The stability of Canada as a country up till recently has been very strong with each of the parties and their provincial counterparts setting aside their individual agendas for the sake of national unity. Unfortunately more recently that has become less clear. The wedge tac tics of the Conservative Government under a leader named Stephen Harper, from 2002 to 2014 caused great rifts within the Canadian psyche. The way politics worked under that government was to set aside all considerations except the ones important to the leading members of the Conservative party and the strategies they used raised the emotions of Canadians to such an extent that even the citizens were divided in their allegiances and were willing to set aside the principals of fair, legal and socially responsible administration in order to accomplish self benefiting agendas.

Country descending into turmoil
More recently two provinces have entered into a dispute over a oil pipe line from Alberta to the BC Coast where the oil would be transferred to ships and sent to Asia and eastern markets. Even though there were compromises that could have been negotiated the individual Premiers have entrenched themselves and the spatt grow so confrontational one Premier called into question the Canadian Constitution and was willing to break it in order to achieve their personal agenda.

Right now in Canada we have three provincial Governments willing to dispute with the Federal Government over various ideaologies around social values. These kinds of disputes eventually will increase tensions between the Federal and Provincial Governments and ultimately lead to a fragmented country with some alliances going North and South to replace the East - West alliances now in place.