The CFL is not the only league in the world with this type of rule. There are some football(soccer) leagues with similar rules in place. And that's bogus that the ratio doesn't make the game unique...it completely changes how coaches/scouts/management do every part of their job. Specifically coaching and making a game day roster. It's absurd to say different.
And again Grass roots isn't shrinking(though I believe it actually is slowly) because of the great Canadians of the past. Gretzky alone changed everything. No Canadian stars = less interest from Canadian kids. You're right, grassroots does so well because of how Canadian hockey was seen in the past. Canadians had a real chance at being stars because that's who they saw on TV and the support was there in terms of coaching/training etc etc etc. Less Canadians playing football in the CFL means that will absolutely impact the way kids see the Canadian game.
lol The government said they would, as soon as the CFL opened the books and proved they needed the help. They wouldn't do that.