No... you guys are right and I'm a dumbass.

I guess I figured the customs officer I spoke
to knew their job. I ended up calling a customs
supervisor in Calgary, and he cleared up my
confusion as follows:

Most AV electronics are now duty free when
shipped from US to Canada, regardless of point
of manufacture. However it still comes down
to the specific description of the item you
are importing. In this case, a remote control,
is duty exempt. Other types of items, may average
5-6% duty. And, as you know anything made in US
is exempt.

The package must clearly state that it is a remote, and a general description could result
in duty being erroneously levied.

I'll shut up now.