Bonds vs Preferred shares; cross-border tax consequences.

[GDG]

In the past I've invested directly in Cdn Corp Bonds (not mutual fund or ETF) through an on-line trade platform. Overall, a lousy idea from a tax perspective I realize, but I wanted the security as a fixed income investment.
Now I'm thinking preferred shares from large cap Cdn companies maybe an avenue where the dividends would be treated as dividend income--at least in Canada--not interest income. But are there surprises I'm not aware of from my situation as a person filing with both with the CRA and IRS.
So I've come to this excellent forum for advice. Can you help point me in the right direction?
Many thanks!