Publications don't seem to affect things that much, but I can say that for sure at Concordia, "academic mindset" is important (I've been at the school for five years now). They understand that students have real world experience, but the caliber of applicants is so high that they are looking for a) an absolute knock-out SOP and b ) academic potential and internal community participation. Concordia's ARTH department is big on having its students start initiatives or take part in existing ones and they are conference fiends. One of the most popular phrases in the department is "so what conferences have you applied to?"
As for tuition in Quebec being lower so there's less pressure... I disagree. Yes, maybe you can afford to pay the $1500.00 for your tuition a semester, but in the long run, not applying for federal and provincial grants is going to hurt your career. Funding begets other funding (this isn't just a stupid saying, I've been much more successful in other funding endeavors since getting SSHRC) and if you're looking to work in academia, especially, they're going to want someone who has a proven track record of getting funding from funding agencies. You're also at a disadvantage by not applying because you don't have the expertise of having your proposal looked at by your professors, who most likely have gone through this process successfully.