Canada does not and likely will not ever need a stealth aircraft. Our role in NATO and our internal requirements are for cleanup and enforcement AFTER the main airborne/AAA threat has been dealt with by wild weasel/air superiority attacks.
It is extremely unlikely we will be going to war without being part of a coalition, and the larger nations don’t need the few aircraft we could field getting in their way.
I’ve been screaming at our government since the mid-late 1990’s when the F-35 got ridiculously expensive and years behind schedule that we should buy Super Hornets, and I’m glad Shiny Pony Nice Hair is making noises in that direction. Blind pig and all that, I suppose.
No question the SuperHornet makes the most sense for Canada’s frontline aircraft, though I think the latest SAAB offerings would be well suited for the domestic missions.