Canada half month celebration!

I have just been back from a conference in Canada. It was my very first time presenting a paper at a conference. In honor of this event, we shall be observing "National Half Month Canada Celebration Day!" Uh, I mean, "National Half Month Canada Celebration Half Month!" All entries over the next two weeks will, one way or another, relate to Canada! It may be a mere passing reference to Canada, like, "You wouldn't see that sort of thing, not even in Canada!" or, "That's just the sort of thing you'd expect to see in Canada, only in this case, it wasn't."

Well, I was in Canada, and I saw just the sort of clothing store I'd expect not to see in America. The store was called, "America." Now, technically speaking, Canada is PART of America--just not part of the United States. This is why, when I was trying to explain to the hotel that I couldn't speak French because I was "American," I began to stammer once I realized the potential offense in such a remark. So what does it mean that Canadians call a clothing store "America?" Is it "America" in the sense of including Canada, or "America" in the sense of being the United States? Should I be offended on Canada's behalf? Should I be offended on America's behalf? What makes the clothing distinctively American, anyway? Was it made in America? American clothes usually aren't even made in America! Was it made in the "American style?" I thought we just imitated the French, and much of Canada is French, so does that mean that they are imitating the imitators of themselves?