When I arrived at the gate, there was a delayed flight that hadn't gone out yet also to YVR, and there was another YVR flight leaving 50 minutes, and there were WS and 8P flights... There were plenty of people around. Now if I had run right up to the gate and stated my name and asked what was going on there is a good chance I would have made it onto the flight.

Apparently I don't learn because I showed up at the gate for two Dash 8 flights (YYJ-YVR and YYZ-YYB) in the past 24 hours at T-15 and they had not yet finished boarding, I got on no problem. Next time I'll be good and make it for T-25.