Personal security is an issue anytime anyone camps informally. Most 'restrictions' on camping in Canadian parks are usually for your own protection. In Western Canada there can be bear issues and in Eastern Canada there are coyote issues. Within city limits there can be issues with street gangs that frequent city parks after hours. That doesn't mean there are no homeless people living in the street and sleeping in city parks here, it just means that most of them have nothing worth stealing.

On the plus side of things, it's fairly easy to meet people while on tour and Canadians are generally hospitable and chances are you'll get an invite to sleep in someone's backyard or in the spare bedroom. In exchange for stories from your tour, of course!

My experiences in South America were pretty similar. Designated camping areas had continuous security monitoring. The most dangerous animals in every country seem to be the two-legged variety. In Canada it's only the commercial addresses that have barred doors and windows. In South America ALL the residential addresses have them. The more affluent addresses also have armed security guards, walled enclosures, guard dogs - or all of the above.