It didn’t “infect” anything. It was always here. I noticed it when I moved from Vancouver to Calgary as a kid. If you live in one of Canada’s three major cities, you just aren’t exposed to it, but the second you get into the suburbs or further, it’s on full display. There’s a reason we had Harper for an entire decade, gagging scientists, cutting corporate taxes, cuts to education and health care, and driving profits into the hands of the rich.