Is it permissible to combine the Maghrib and Isha prayers, or to pray Isha forty minutes after Maghrib, due to the short nights in Western Canada, especially with the approaching month of Ramadan, and the resulting hardship in performing prayers at their prescribed times?

It is not permissible to combine two prayers without a valid excuse. The fundamental principle is that both Maghrib and Isha prayers should be performed at their respective times. However, if waiting for Isha causes extreme hardship and leads to difficulty, then there is no objection to combining them to alleviate that hardship, as ruled by Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen.