Other alternatives if you're looking for Canuck brand road bikes: Marinoni, Miele, Devinci
Almost all non-custom frames are made offshore (think Taiwan), but you may have some maple leaf stickers on the bike somewhere and a Canadian paint job.
My brother had a Rocky Mtn Blizzard frame which he broke after something like 8 years. They replaced the frame. He was mighty pleased.
If I'm not mistaken the Solo10 should be coming with a Tiagra/105 mixed drive train with 9 speeds in the back. That is certainly good enough for a beginner, and should last you quite a while.
The one extra cog in the back and small weight advantage of moving up to, say, Ultegra or even Dura Ace levels will not have any meaningful impact on your riding.