Other information Other information - Supplemental cash flow information (Details) - CAD CAD in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash paid during the year for:
Interest	CAD 5,615	CAD 5,895
Cash received during the year for:
Interest	CAD 162	CAD 194

Amount of cash paid for interest. Includes, but is not limited to, payment to settle zero-coupon bond attributable to accreted interest of debt discount and debt instrument with insignificant coupon interest rate in relation to effective interest rate of borrowing attributable to accreted interest of debt discount.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=d3e4297-108586

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 25
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3536-108585

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration