Unfortunately there are only two major airlines in Canada and the nature of the industry (vis a vis seniority) means once you choose you’ve bought in and are “trapped”. Your comment reflects the typical man on the street view - do something else, go elsewhere, you knew when you applied.
To summarize, the money at AC isn’t bad until you compare it to anywhere else (EU, UK, US) and the working conditions (scheduling, training, vacation) are the worst in the wider industry.