I can relate as to why you would want to fly Air Canada. Here is my experience -
1. Check in - Both were smooth, found no difference as such
2. On time performance - Air Canada was on time, Air India was delayed by over 4 hrs (although they did call on time to inform about the delay)
3. On board services -
a. Meals - Air Canada served 3 times that included dinner, mid flight light snacks and breakfast. Air India served two meals - lunch and snacks. The portions and quality were again comparable, didn't find much of a difference. Note the duration of Air India was 9 hrs, so two meals were as expected. Also the comparison is based on Veg Indian meals which I prefer during flights.
b. In Flight entertainment system - Air Canada is big time winner here. It did have decent content, plus was smooth in performance.
c. Seats and Leg space - This was the most painful area. Air Canada seats for their Economy Lite and Flex are terrible in terms of space. You wont be able to sustain a 14 hrs flight. So book Economy Latitude/ Premium Economy/ Business Class on Air Canada. Air India is winner here.
d. Cleanliness - Again comparable, nothing to differentiate
Baggage claims was again okay, clear announcements and on time delivery.
I would still recommend Air Canada, however just by over a small margin (3.5/5) to Air India (3.2/5).
Happy to answer if you have any further queries.