I don't know, but having lived in the Prairies for 14 years I can't see that 'hugging is a Canadian thing', and certainly not in the workplace.

I have friends in the same job as myself (university professor) who are huggers (and 1 is from Alberta, the other though is from Nova Scotia), but hugging in the workplace still seems to me an anomaly in AB, MB and SK, at least based on my experience. Ditto interior BC.

If anything, Prairie folk seem to like their personal space and want to avoid coming that close! Too many times I've walked into a Tim Hortons, in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary, or Brandon and anywhere along the Trans Canada and seen a gaggle of folks about 2 meters from the counter, and walked forward to be stopped by a stern 'Heh! The queue starts here!' ... essentially at the entrance door.

So is hugging acceptable in the workplace? Seems so in Vancouver and Toronto, but you'll be frogmarched to HR in the Prairies ... or at least banned from the workplace curling teams.