The old League 1 now Premier Soccer League is a good start. Several (2) League 1 champions have beaten CPL teams in Can Champ. I like the format. PSL is referred to as Tier 3. Which makes CPL tier 2? I think of PSL as pathway to CPL.
And yes, overseas players see CPL as a good place for minutes. Malik Owolabi-Belewu was supposed to go to Chesterfield last year, but there was a signing day mix up. He played with Forge last year, essentially on loan from Chesterfield. He got minutes this year at an EFL 2 club since January.