No, your anecdote doesn't change the facts. It is in fact a thing and has been for as long as I've been in the airlines. I've flown with guys who had to do the "rehabilitation" drill.

https://www.canadaduientrylaw.com/

It might be possible to head north on vacay and hope/assume that the mounties don't have any way of knowing about that DUI you got back in 1995 in Del Rio TX. Worst case they'll just send you back home on the next flight.

But it's a problem for airlines to knowingly send you to CA, knowing that you cannot legally enter. That could get the entire airline into hot water with the nice folks in Ottawa. The airlines pretty much will know about your convictions unless you both lied when hired and somehow it didn't get into the federal database (that could happen).