i'm fairly certain there are 96/17s floating around canada, if you know where to look, i picked up a 96/22lr not too long ago. to the best of my knowledge, the 96 series were not produced in very large numbers, they were sort of meant to be the answer to the assault weapons ban in the states, but didn't find much of a following.
this doesn't mean that they are bad. many people who have them, love them, they are considered by some to be more veratile than a 10/22. if you get a 22LR version, you can simply change to a 17HM2 barrel and have a fully functional 17HM2. if you get a 96/22M or 96/17HMR, you can change barrels from 17HMR to 22WM and be fully funtional. i've also heard of people being able to change between all four rimfire calibres when using the magnum actions.
oh, another plus is that unlike most lever guns, the 96s are fed from a detachable magazine, and if you can get your hands on a hi-cap, you'll have one of the only lever guns on the block that holds 25 rounds.
downsides? not really. not much aftermarket support, if that's a big deal to you. the lever has to be cracked open to remove or insert a magazine, kind of annoying, but it only has to be cracked a couple of degrees open, not all the way, so big deal... if you're not a big fan of rugers carbine styling, then sorry for your luck, here it is again!
as for the 10/17HMR, there is no such thing made by ruger, they advertised it, but never actually released them to the public. if you really want one, look up magnum research.
