QuiltE, I completely agree. We just don't have the population volume of the States. I do feel sorry for the LQS. Every time I order off the 'net and think I could've supported local instead. It sucks.
I think that is also the reason our postal/shipping rates within Canada are so high - I think they equalize costs cross country to make up for travelling to remote regions by plane or truck with very little parcel inside. We have huge, vast areas of Canada that are unpopulated, but still must be travelled over.
To mail something to a town just a 10 minute drive from my house will cost me almost $9. Most of that is because Canada Post has the '2 cm slot of doom'. If your package exceeds the 2cm width, they hike the shipping cost. It actually costs me less in shipping to mail to New York than it does to my neighbouring town.
What is wrong with our Country?
Now I'm starting to rant. I'm going to my happy place to calm down.