Thank you for sharing this. This does make sense. Your explanations is totally logical. Either way I was also right requesting Counterfoil doesn't mean visa approved.Counterfoil is the sticker on the passport. Req:yes means that it is required for you as a citizen of a country that requires a visa to enter Canada. It doesn't have any weight on your application decision, it just means you are not eligible for a visa waiver (unlike US and EU citizens for example).
But many in the forum believes it means visa sticker request so ultimately it is not.