Falsification of covid test is an offense. But if you choose to quarantine at home rather than at government approved hotel for insanely high price hotel is not !! I wouldn't refuse covid test upon arrival, but would definitely refuse to quarantine at government approved hotel when I have a place to quarantine safely. I would also refuse to pay a fine. If those charged with false covid test, which is an actual crime got fined between 7 000 and 1 000, those who refused to stay at government facility shouldn't be fined at all if they have a proper place to quarantine.
Unfortunately you aren't the one making the rules. You don't seem to understand that from the beginning they were allowing people to do what you are saying
BUT some people didn't think that those rules should apply to them either because they felt fine and had no symptoms and went out when they weren't supposed to.
From that type of behaviour came the requirement to do the mandatory hotel stay. As with so many other rules in Canada and other countries they have to make the stricter rules because of the minority of people who don't follow the more lenient first rules. It is because of those people that the law was created.
The laws are very specific that it can be a fine and/or prison. Maybe you could do a little experiment for us. Fly to the states and come back, refuse to do the hotel stay and see how it plays out after that. Be sure to get back to us on it.