The exception case is those of us without degrees: Express Entry is a non-starter without a degree unless you go through a provincial nomination program that's willing to also overlook the lack of degree (AFAIK the BC Tech Pilot may be the only relevant example to us software folk). The Global Talent Stream visas are (to my knowledge) the only skilled worker visas in Canada that don't require degrees, and thus are what I used for the year or so I lived in Canada. I suspect this new open work permit scheme will resolve the lone issue GTS visas had for such workers: that if the job didn't work out, as mine didn't, you have to (1) flagpole, or (2) go home (which is what I did).

So, yeah, probably still relatively low takeup, but it's going to solve a corner case that, if I had the energy or interest to move back to Canada (which unfortunately seems to have suffered lots of the same issues the US has in the past several years, just in differing flavors at times), I'd be thankful to have solved.