I haven't delved deep into the subject, but I would concur with your assessment. I think classifying things initially was a way in which people with that information kept value. When they transfer that value, they have to ask “What am I bringing to the table?”
In this country, we also fear what people will do with that information and whether it will come back to harm us. I think Canadians by nature, along with our government institutions, are a bit more risk-averse than our allies are. Perhaps that comes from the fact that we don't often feel as though we are in risky situations where we need to take risk.
I think it's kind of a self-perpetuating model, and it's not getting us as far as we need to get. I think it requires reflection. Do we need to classify all the things we classify? Can more people have access to information, and can more information be declassified so as Canadians we become smarter, better and more nuanced about what's going on? It's not about making us afraid; it's about making us more educated.