Upgrade certificates are given to passengers with status only, i.e. people who presumably can figure out how flying works.

Detailed rules for the certificates are printed on the certs themselves.

Updated rules for the certificates are always available on the Aeroplan website. The only change to the certificate rules made mid-year this year was the NA Latitude change (a big win for certificate users).

The fare rules for all buckets in the Leisure class are identical. That is the sense in which they are "simplified" in marketing-speak. Just like the fare rules for all buckets in Tourist are the same and Lat+ are the same and Exec 1st are the same. And the same goes for the NA marketing-speak fare categories.

Upgrade certificates are not mentioned in any fare rule for any airline. The rules for upgrade certificates are the certificate's rules, not the fare's rules.

The statement on the Aeroplan website concerning SWU and SSWU applicability is perfectly clear and completely accurate.

The OP screwed up here. Simple as that. If it had been a first-time poster to FT I'd say "Welcome to FT, look at the rules on the cert and see the Fare Class sticky".