i have no idea why canon suddenly hate wide aperture lenses.
They're bigger, heavier and more expensive. In the current climate, why (and how!) would you want to sell something to the consumer that is bigger, heavier and more expensive than what they already have with marginal improvement?
Some of us need the f2.8 aperture. It's not an option, I'd go fast if it was possible but currently it isn't. It's frustrating that I can go to f1.4 on a 24mm but any wider than that and the fastest I can go is f2.8. Such is life.
I can dial in a slower shutter speed to hand hold (1/15th sec vs say 1/25th on a 24mm) but the 24mm f1.4 still has several stops advantage, allowing a darker EV at the same iso value.
An IS on a wide zoom, which is f4 wouldn't really help me. I would loose another stop compared to an f2.8. At 1/15th sec, subject movement becomes a serious issue in wedding work and landscape work. Shooting at 1/8th or 1/4 second isn't going to stop leaves blowing in the breeze or a priest moving his hand.
F1.4 glass offers me a far higher shutter speed compared to f2.8, which is why it's called "fast glass" by pros.
I gain 2 stops, which is 4 times the shutter speed. I can put that towards reducing my iso value for a cleaner shot or I can put it towards my shutter speed for sharp and cleanly frozen images.
These days, there are many ultralight and mini travel pods available. Sure, you can't use them in every circumstance, but a IS unit will never do the job of a pod. It can help but not replace.