Thanksgiving in Canada is a time to give thanks for a good harvest while Thanksgiving in the United States is a tradition of remembering the Pilgrims and the settling in the New World.
Since Canada is further north (location) the harvest takes place earlier. The Europeans also had festivals of thanks and harvests in the month of October.
There are many historical stories surrounding Thanksgiving which contribute to our present day celebrations.
The first Canadian Thanksgiving took place in Newfoundland in 1578 (a formal ceremony hosted by the British explorer, Martin Frobisher to give thanks for surviving the long journey in which he tried to find a northern passage to the Orient). He was later knighted and there is a northern bay in Canada named in his honour (Frobisher Bay).
Other settlers arrived and continued this tradition.
French settlers arrived with Samuel de Champlain and held large feasts of thanks. This was called "The Order of Good Cheer". They even shared with their First Nation neighbours.
After the Seven Years War that ended in 1763, the citizens of Halifax Nova Scotia held a special day of Thanksgiving.
During the American Revolution, many Americans who were loyal to Britain came to Canada where they brought their customs and traditions to Canada including the pumpkin pie and cornucopia.
Cornucopia is a curved goat's horn filled with fruits and grains by farm workers. This tradition began in Europe and the tradition has carried on.
Later on in 1879, Parliament declared Nov. 6th as a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday in Canada.
Over the years, many dates were used for Thanksgiving- the most popular being the 3rd Monday in October.
Following World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11th occurred.
Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day (still celebrated on November 11th).
Finally, on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed..."A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.
Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in Canada, except in PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
In 1941, the United States Congress set the National Holiday of Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November. In general, Thanksgiving is a much larger holiday in the United States than Canada. There is no Black Friday in Canada. Much of the food is similar such as turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. You may also include regional foods such as the French-Canadian meat pie called tortiere. Another popular choice is
Turducken which gives you the best of all worlds (turkey, duck, and chicken baked together). Some of the contemporary Thanksgiving traditions in Canada include parades, customary 'family feast' and 'turkey'. It is a time for sharing, loving and family reunions. The central idea behind the celebration is to be thankful for the past harvest and praying for the coming year. 
Sources:
http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/thanksgiving/canada/
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/2614-canadian-thanksgiving
http://video.about.com/gocanada/What-Is-the-History-of-Canadian-Thanksgiving-.htm
http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/symbols_facts&lists/thanksgiving.html
http://www.thanksgiving-day.org/celebration-canada.html
http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatravelplanner/a/thanksgiving.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_4443682_celebrate-canadian-thanksgiving.html
http://www.globaltvbc.com/holidays/6442498292/story.html
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