Is it me, or is this a new practice for Canada to get figures so far ahead of the US?
Maybe. But is it just me or does the States tend to get more figures and waves of figures that Canada never sees? 
Well, the market is bigger so more figures makes sense.
With respect to your more waves comment, you are accurate but this should come as no surprise at all:
POTF2: last wave(s) never made it to Canada (RH Vader, etc.)
{Intermediate waves:
Flashback: two figure were extremely hard to find in Canada, though did arrive in small amounts
Commtech: stormtrooper next to impossible to find until a wack dumped at Walmart on clearance}
Episode I: last two waves never released in Canada (Sio Bibble, R2-B1, etc.)
POTJ: last two waves never released in Canada (Imperial officer, snaggletooth, etc.)
Saga (I): no figures released beyond about #44 or so (Palpatine?) so 2 or more waves
OTC: last wave of post-OTC never released in Canada (Sandtrooper, biker scout re-releases)
ROTS: last two waves never released in Canada (501st, etc.)
Saga (II): last two regular waves plus Walmart wave never released in Canada
30AC: do you see the trend and have you figured it out yet?
As for Canada getting stuff first, it's only because we're not getting the tail end of the previous series, nothing more. Last time that happened there was so much Carkoon wave on the pegs it took about three months until we saw something new. Thankfully this wave is a lot nicer than the Carkoon wave, so if they keep restocking it ad nauseum, it will still move (minus R2/Obi/Mace).
