Fair question- yes the phone is unlocked.
The more I think about it, I'm thinking of just getting the Koodo add on. That way at least one phone operates just like it would in Canada. All of these options are $25 to $45 CDN. Taking the Roam option out as the coverage just isn't there, now the remaining choices are all $38-45.
One other thing to note- in my research I came across this device:
https://www.tepwireless.com/
What's cool is you can use it in many different countries. It looks like buying it outright is more economical than renting as long as you plan on using it more than once.