Either the traffic levels have "calmed down" in the meantime, or whichever federal department/agency is handling the website for Citizenship and Immigration Canada has figured out how to manage the incoming traffic as of this morning. Reaching this conclusion because I've been able to look at the cic.gc.ca front page in the last hour or two.
As to the website issues
Date: 2016-11-09 04:57 pm (UTC)