This has absolutely nothing to do with the CRTC and everything to do with the rights holders.
Apple now owns the digital music market. When they negotiated their international agreements, they likely "bundled" agreements for several countries at the same time, following their huge success in the United States. That gave them a lot of leverage in their negotiations with those rights holders (read: "record companies")
Microsoft has made some significant progress in the digital content business, but nowhere near the success that Apple has. That makes it harder for them to negotiate a lot of deals at the same time. Apple kind of caught them napping.
Zune Pass is a little different from anyone else's subscription model, because it allows you to actually unlock some music. I'd certainly give it a try, but I also have to admit that since the Zune supports AAC, and iTunes now sells unprotected content, Apple's been getting my business lately.
I like the Zune, I'm eager to try out the HD, and I hope the Zune Pass makes it across the 49th parallel in the same form it has in the US, but Microsoft has a hard climb ahead of it.
BTW: I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope for Napster in Canada; the service as we know it here no longer exists in the US. I liked the "new" Napster, and subscribed to it for years, but their content is slowly slipping. I'm THIS close to letting iTunes transcode all my WMA's to AAC...
