Amex USED to have a 2% Cash Back Credit card. Even then, the 2% didn't kick in right away, so you'd have to spend many thousands per year to get > 1% overall. And of course, spending lots of money on an Amex card can be a bit difficult in Canada, since many merchants only accept Visa or Mastercard.

The American Express Gold 2% Cash Back card is No longer available, as of ~1 month ago in Canada. Those that still have cards should be fine until they expire, but if you're looking to apply for such a card, you are out of luck.

In terms of hassle-free rewards, I'd suggest the Citi Enrich Mastercard, which is 1% Cash Back from the first dollar and no-fee. Citi also has a Driver's Edge CitiMastercard card, where earnings are gained towards any car purchase, but you can only get the money back once your purchase a car, which isn't quite hassle-free by my standards.

Personally, I don't really like points cards very much (since the points can be devalued), but some are the right credit card for the right person.