So I have a foreign JD degree but I'm not a lawyer as I didn't pass the bar exam in my country. Obviously, I will not be able to sit for Canadian bar exams, as per NCA rules.

If I take an LLM in Canada, would that make up for the deficiency? In other words, would my foreign JD + Canadian LLM qualify me to take the Canadian bar exam, in a similar manner as Canadian LLB degree holders?

(Assume that retaking the bar exam in my country is not an option).

The short answer: probably not. The rules vary by province, but generally they'll look at your undergraduate degree and see what classes you were missing and ask you to take those. An LLM will generally not make up for those kinds of deficiencies; they're not designed to do so. 

More time consuming would be the other requirements that you'd need to go through in order to sit the bar in a province. Exams + at least nine months of articling in a law firm, for example. 

thanks for replying. my "deficiency" is that i flunked the bar in my country. would you know if the NCA requires that applicants are already lawyers (in their home countries), or would an LLB/JD degree suffice?