You are right about pushing them. I called CIC again this morning and got kind of different information again. They only started to process my parent visa yesterday (possibly because Hong Kong was preparing to issue the visa but I sent passport to Ottawa, but yesterday the rep said Visa was approved the day before yesterday

). So it is another two weeks. At least the passports are in the system.
The lesson is: if sending passport to an office other than LOV, need to inform both LOV and that office. Apparently Visa is different issue by HK and by Ottawa. Although you are exactly same situation and didn't notice anyone.