Let me see if I understand you correctly. For what amounts to $75 you are giving up the benefits of a VHF? Benefits like NOAA Weather Forecasts, Weather warnings, the ability to communicate with nearby boats in case of an emergency on your boat or another's, the ability to communicate with the USCG in case of trouble, and since you plan to travel to Canada roaming charges on your cell phone when you call ahead to the marina? There are probably more reasons, but those come to the top of my head.
Cellphones are not a substitute for VHF radios in an emergency because they are private. Because VHF is public, if you have a serious but not life threatening emergency other vessels may come to your aid long before the CG does. Also, there is a good chunk of Lake Ontario that does not have cell phone coverage, if something happens and you're in that area you are SOL.
EPIRBs are great when there is a major emergency and life is at risk, but what about lesser emergencies, like a broken bone, concussion, severe laceration, dismasting, or any number of other accidents that can occur. In these situations are you going to trigger the EPIRB and the massive and expensive SAR operation because the skipper broke his arm and can't steer the boat?
What about the fellow boater a mile or two away who needs assistance, without a radio you may never know and won't be able to render assistance.
I'm no fan of the idle chit-chat on the radio especially during Salmon Season when everyone is bragging or complaining about the fishing. If you keep the radio on Channel 16 that nonsense is kept to a minimum. And then there is entertainment value, like last summer when a boater ran around on a shoal near a Canadian island and wanted the USCG to come rescue him. Dude, no one is dying so we're not coming and you're in Canadian waters (and not the 1000 islands).
As a piece of safety equipment, a VHF near the top of the list, way above an EPIRB for the waters we sail in. Flares are a poor substitute, they are great for helping to locate a boat in distress if you know you're looking for a boat in distress. The burn time for an aerial flare is pretty short, the odds of someone randomly seeing one when it is shot and then knowing what to do is pretty small. And what if the boater that saw a flare and knew what to do, didn't have a VHF to call the CG? Flares are great to help someone find you that is looking for you, not so much otherwise.
So, for $75 you're going to forego these benefits, a ship's license is good for 10 years and a radio for at least that long, that's $7.50 a year. You can't even buy a decent six pack of beer for that kind of money. Cheap insurance for you and your fellow Lake Ontario boaters.
Of course you can just not license the radio or yourself and hope no asks. I've never been asked in 32 years of Lake Ontario sailing, but there is always a first time.