They do care if the flight leaves from Canada. Exactly a week ago I helped a friend at an airport counter getting AA to rebook him from an award ticket on AA to a full revenue J flight on Air Canada. This was for a flight leaving a week later, not day of IROPs. All by showing the counter agent a copy of the law.

The law will also be less useless when passengers start rebooking themselves and then ( or their travel insurance) suing airlines in Canadian courts for damages they incure.