You have 8 months left on your current VALID passport, you can travel on it, you were told if you flew into Laos you'd probably be admitted - what's stopping you from trying, they can only say no and then you're back to Canada no worse off than before - but at least you tried, as apparently your other option now is just to give up until Jan 2019, as you're obviously not going to change the Canadian Governments mind on this one by the looks of it. So, what's keeping you. just go........or MAYBE you're actually happy enough being back home just and it's all a good cover for poor Leo as to why you can't POSSIBLY return for several months "at LEAST".......