I would not consider Singapore or Cathay "legacy" carriers and yes, I would put them in the same category as Emirates. And I'm quite aware of the geography and culture and employers of the UAE, having lived in Dubai for over seven years. That was my point, they were created to take traffic from other markets because they have none of their own.
But back to the debate about unfettered access to Canada's airports by foreign carriers. As long as we have something they want, they should be paying for it. Not giving it away for free. Simply because it would make someone's ski vacation easier or whatever.