Hello
Anserem.
Another option for you is to apply at the CQFA, a school that is part of the Cegep de Chicoutimi.
If you get in and complete the program, you will be getting your DEC Cegep diploma after 3 years, and you will have your Commercial Pilot in one of 3 specialisation:
- Multi-engine/Instrument rating
- Bush piloting (tailwheel, snow skids and floats)
- Helicopter (done on Bell 206b)
You don't pay for the flight hours, it's all covered as part of the DEC curriculum. It is I believe the cheapest way to get into commercial flying in Quebec, except maybe for joining the Canadian Forces.
Getting into the program is pretty hard, they accept 44 candidates per year, and receive between 500 and 1000 applications. The selection process is multi-tier:
- They do a first selection based on your highschool results
- They have you complete an exam covering things like aviation knowledge, spatial awareness, math...
- The ones selected after that previous step are invited for interviews and medical tests in Chicoutimi.
Once in the program, the first year will be mainly doing normal classes at the Cegep de Chicoutimi (math, physics, phys-ed, etc...), and some aviation related classes (meteorology, navigation, etc...) at the CQFA school at the Saint-Honoré airport (CYRC).
The second year you start flying on their single engine planes (Beechcraft B19 and C23).
The third year you join your specialization, and get your CPL. Note that the number of places in some specialization is limited, so you are not guaranteed a slot in helicopter for example.
Since it's a Cegep program, if you don't find a flying job when you complete it you can move on and go to a university. Having done a 3 year professional program instead of a 2 year general program you might need some extra classes to get into specific university programs, but those can usually be done through summer school.
* some of the details might be slightly off, I went that route a little over 30 years ago.
https://cchic.ca/cqfa-admission-et-info-scolaire/