My husband is also a Québécois, and I’m an Asian wife. I did the whole procedure by myself because my husband is too busy, so I think I’m pretty confident to answer your confusion.
I am monitoring several online application trackers. And according to my analysis, the decision and processing speed has very little to do with the applicant’s original country. I’ve seen many countries that would considered “highly suspicious” if one apply for a US visa (lol sorry can’t help it) proceeded even faster than a American applicant. And mine, as I am from a communist country which is detaining two Canadians for no reason nor transparency as well as the origin of the current global pandemic, is also going quite fast. The only effect on processing speed and decision is if documents you provided can strongly prove everything the immigration department asks for. And it needs to be something objective, not something like « hey I’m planning to find a job / rent an apartment ». You have to provide something solid.
I think your rejection is due to the lack of knowledge of the process of family sponsorship program. Your representative is not very professional, or you actually really don’t have intention to go back and settle in Canada so you have to about it.
You should have go back to Canada in the first place, bringing your wife with a visitor visa on her side, and then apply for a inland sponsorship in the first place. Your wife doesn’t really need a valid status after you apply the inland spousal sponsorship. Because due to the consideration of humanity, Canadian government is not allowed to reject your wife’s application just because she doesn’t have a legal status in Canada. As long as she doesn’t get rejected , she can stay here as long as she wants. And during this time she can definitely apply for a new visitor visa or even a work permit. Also you can keep updating and providing new documents during application. Because life goes on, it doesn’t just stop after you submit an application. You can provide more documents that prove you and your wife is settling, for example, your wife taking French courses (Vous êtes Québec, parlez-vous français, pas anglais!!), doing volunteering work, you getting a new stable job, buying a condo, new pictures of you socializing with local people and blending in... I actually don’t have a valid status. And this is what I did. You have nothing to worry about because if your relationship is genuine, Canadian government shouldn’t and can’t kick your wife out of the country because she’s your spouse and your family. That will be too inhuman. If they really did that to me, I’m going to go to a media and cry about it.
Now things just got much more complicated for you. I would say, you should file a complaint against your representative if they are the ones to blame, in the meantime, hire a better lawyer, probably physically in Canada, to help you.