The original thread has gone a little OT, but I'll wade in in nonetheless

It's really not even about those that are gaming the system. The government want a complete record of everyones travels, regardless of citizenship or residency status. The eTA system is but the tip of the iceberg of the combined US/Canada "Beyond the Border" Initiative. Do you really think the Canadian government would spend close to $200m for the eTA system just to deal with the average 7000 people a year who are denied entry at airports? Thats quite a per unit cost eh?

People who game the system or those that are ineligible for entry make up a tiny fraction of the millions of people who visit both countries each year. Laws and tools already exist to deal with these people, we don't need any more. But as always a tiny minority will be used as a scapegoat for more increased monitoring of law-abiding citizens and residents.