Maybe I'm wrong, and everything is truly different in Canada, despite the incredible 5000 rinks a trade organization claims. But maybe not.
Before you assume you can't figure skate in public sessions, just because people in a club say so, try it, before 2 PM, but not during lunch. If no good at one rink, try another.
People here in the U.S. used to tell me you had to skate in clubs to do that too.
In reality, I can often be the only skater in the first 15-30 minutes of a weekday daytime public session (before about 2 PM, though at some rinks not during lunch), and that at most 3 - 7 would usually join me by the end. (Except during birthday parties, and school holidays, which most rinks know about a day or two in advance - ask.) Sometimes the next session, 15 minutes later, would be a figure skating club-run session, putting 20-50 people on the ice, where the members would insist club sessions were the only way to get uncrowded ice or figure skate! And sometimes fancy figure skaters would rent private ice for several hundred dollars an hour at the same rink.
Yes, a lot of rinks have rules that say you shouldn't "figure skate" during public sessions. They usually aren't enforced when you were the only person on the ice, or often below about 10 - 15 people. The rink guard (when provided, which isn't always) usually has a lot of leeway about enforcing rules in public sessions.
You can encourage the leeway by skating courteously. If there are beginners who might be afraid of you, you might explain to them (in rink guard's hearing, if possible) that it is Your (not their) responsibility to stay out of their way, and that they can just ignore you. Take care, give everyone some distance, and don't be a danger to others. You can also quietly ask the rink guard about this sort of thing. You might be surprised how much being safe and courteous helps.
(If you need your own music, or use a magic marker on the ice, that is much harder at many rinks. Plus, an evil rink guard who enforces rules even when you are the only person there can ruin a rink.)
And just by the way - most of the people who skate daytime are either adults or well behaved kids, of the quiet home-schooled variety. They won't tease you much.