Canada wants to buy the outdated superhornet F-18A. Boeing doesn't build F-18A ' super-hornets' anymore. The production line for the F-18A has been closed for over a decade as the technology is from the late 1990's. Lots of surplus in F-18A in US Navy stock.
Boeing builds the current superhornet F-18F but Canada is too cheap and frugal to buy anything new. Canada as usual just buys the cheap stuff to pretend it's trying to do something. However this puts its young RCAF pilots in greater danger and at a disadvantage. 
Canada has to buy US F-35 to integrate with NORAD. EU aircraft software and technology isn't compatible with US.