Online shopping in Canada is such a pain in the a$$. I spend half my time in the US, but am based out of Canada. Normally I just ship to my address in the US and bring the stuff over.
Last week I bought my new setup (Never Summer SL-R + Cartel's

) and just declared it at Pearson when I flew in. The tax wouldn't have been much, since the (7-day) exemption is $750, but the customs agent charged me nothing!
So I agree - be honest. You're already ahead of the game. And sometimes you may get lucky and pay $0.