Comment 3 for bug 508147

The official drivers for this printer are proprietary and closed source,
therefore we cannot/are not allowed to include them into Ubuntu.

Actually your printer manufacturer needs to provide a openprinting distribution independent driver package as described here: http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/WritingAndPackagingPrinterDrivers
This would allow automatic download and installation of the manufacturers printer driver by system-config-printer as already implemented by this specification: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/printerdriverautodownload since Ubuntu Intrepid.
As mentioned the system-config-printer part is implemented.
You should ask your manufacturer in this case Canon to provide a distibution independent package that allows their printer driver to be installed automatically on Linux in general (not only Ubuntu).