Fly in a glider - then you see the bumps in a positive light!
Exactly what I would suggest, and it's a fraction of the cost of powered flying - but you're in Canada so it's cheap enough anyway!
Between 0 - 1000 AGL, the bump you feels is either turbulance or a thermal. Any higher, then it's definately a thermal. Flying in a glider will show you how safe it is to fly in these bumps and it will also allow you to build a 3D picture in your mind of just what exactly the air around you is doing.
You might want to try and predict when the bumps will happen. When you're flying along (depending on your Alt/FL and cloud base), look out for cumulus cloud. Bumps will either be under or slightly upwind of the cumulus cloud.
Happy Flying!
AV8