Yes we can get the FS strips in Canada and they are indeed much cheaper than the AT strips.....almost a 50% difference. I am 99.9% sure they are "physically" the same, but those branded as AT strips have been batch tested to determine which code on the AT meter will produce readings as close to animal lab values as possible. If you happen to have your AT meter set to the ideal code for your vial of FS strips, the readings will be very accurate, but since we know about 4 different cat codes, you stand a 25% chance of very accurate readings and a 75% chance that your readings will be in the ballpark but not as accurate as they could be. If there are more cat codes we are not aware of, which I think is doubtful, but nevertheless possible, the chances of completely accurate readings go down.
Interestingly, I've seen at least two or three folks from the US indicate the FS strips were basically the same price as the AT strips at local retailers in their particular area so unless one is shopping online for bargains, the FS strips are not always a more economical choice for some people.