You should contact the CRA non-resident inquiries department and ascertain your legal status in Canada (resident vs non-resident) so as to determine your legal filing requirements in Canada. See contact info below.
What's your status in Canada, if you are a nonresident in Canada as well, then your friend is right.
Short answer: I'm unsure. I live in the States now, but my wife remained living in Canada throughout all of 2017 and I spent more than 200 days in Canada in 2017. So does that mean I file as a Canadian resident?
You should contact the CRA non-resident inquiries department and ascertain your legal status in Canada (resident vs non-resident) so as to determine your legal filing requirements in Canada. See contact info below.