As an ESL immigrant, as it happens, I agree with this! Agree with sticking to a "Canadian" spelling. You'll prise the "u" in things like "colour" out of my cold, dead fingers, but just as Canada is a cultural melting pot, so is the language and spelling and the "z" in "utilize" belongs there. We're not British here, we're not 'murricans. This is Canada.
Oh god, the 'z' in everything is grating. It feels like so try-hard, and I will not utilise it.
> the "z" in "utilize"
As a native spanish speaker, the "utiliZe" spelling makes it easier for us to learn the word, as it's almost the same as the spanish version "utilizar"
As a native French speaker, I have to interject and push for the use of "utilise" as it's closer to our own "utiliser"!
So it is war you say :P
*pry, not prise