An interesting post.
I admit to carrying my GI issue lensetic compass, but mainly because I have it, not because I need it. My old, cheap basic Silva is a good enough compass when used w/ good topo maps, even in northern Ontario and Quebec.
I do appreciate the GPS system, but its easy to get sloppy navigating. Then I dropped my old, non-immersible Garmin 24 in the lake. Only 3 inches deep, but that was enough. Cost us a lost day and two pair of tough, unnecessary portages.
By the way, if you're buying US topo maps, get the new 1:25,000 issues. They already have the one thousand meter UTM grids on the map face. The Canadian maps have used the UTM grids for years.