Yes, the spouse can apply for a visit visa to come to Canada but Canada immigration needs to believe that the spouse will leave when the visa is up. If neither of them live in Canada, they would probably have a better chance to get a visa for the spouse than if the Canadian spouse is living in Canada and the other spouse is coming to visit.
Also depends on where they are from. Some embassies are worse than others and immigration might be more inclined to think that somebody who comes from a poor country will overstay their visa while somebody who comes from a rich country might be less likely to.
