I do agree with you. VERY rarely do we ever fly out of YVR anymore.
Last year March, we went to DL, we paid $130 round trip SEA-LGB on Alaska Air (West Jet was $500 round trip).
Also last August, we went to WDW, we paid $260 round trip SEA-MCO on Alaska Air (West Jet was $850 round trip).
It's become a no-brainer for us to go to Seattle. Even with the Master Park charge and hotel stayover, that is a small expense and we still save a significant amount.