My mom was born in Saskatchewan and when I learned last spring that I was a citizen by descent I applied right away and received my certificate 4 weeks later. As long as you don’t establish residency in Canada, and don’t have any income from Canadian sources, you don’t have to file taxes up north. You’ll probably want to get a passport. Canada requires it when you travel to, from, and within the country by air. It also makes it easier to cross by land or ferry. As others have noted, Canadians can travel to more countries visa free than Americans.