Hello fellow Canadian
I feel you completely! i have the same issues with layla. she is completely crate trained, she sleeps through the night no problem she will even stay in her crate in the car if i am running in somewhere and doens't care that i am gone, however her play pen is a whole other issue. When we are sitting down to dinner, layla is not allowed to wander, so she goes in her pen.. no problem.. naps and whatever... but with winter coming she can't come in the car if i have to do errands because it is too cold. so i have started putting her in there with her Kong (her most favorite toy ever!!). i leave her while i am downstairs maybe doing laundry.. just something so she can't see me... she makes a HUGE fuss... but eventually settles down... i come take her out.. and don't make a big deal about it... if you make it into a huge event...she willl too. kinda like crate training.. layla cried at first... but eventually she got used to it. now what i do is i'll go out and leave her.. for maybe 20 mins... and i'm able to look through a window to see her without her seeing me.. and i can see that she does settle down... which helps... but she still cries when i leave... try putting her crate in the pen.. i do that in case she gets too overwhelmed.. she can go to her safe spot. layla also has toys she gets ONLY when she is in her crate... to make it a special place... sorry for the rambling
but i am in the same place... stay stong.. let her know YOU are in control and you call the shots! let me know how it goes! i'll be thinking of ya!