If you fly fewer than 8 times a year, paying $400+ a year for a premium card just for the lounge is rough math. Better options: Priority Pass via a moderate annual-fee card (Scotia Passport, Brim World Elite), day passes purchased ahead via LoungeBuddy, or — for early-morning departures out of YYZ and YVR — the under-the-radar paid lounges that take walk-ups for around $45.
Don’t sleep on the smaller airline lounges either. Air France’s lounge in Montreal is open to Priority Pass holders and has a real espresso bar.