Gearup,
As a Canadian living in Britain I have a slightly different perspective on things which you may find interesting. You are correct when you say that we are taxed on everything here in the UK but do not be so sure that it is any different in Canada. In fact, in some ways the tax system is worse in Canada. For example, the highest marginal tax rate in the UK is only 40% whereas in Canada it is in the region of 56%. This is a big difference and adds up to a lot of money. The only area in terms of taxation where Canada is better than the UK is with petrol taxes. The price of petrol (gas in Canada of course) is about half of what we pay in the UK. But the lower income taxes in the UK more than make up for this. There is no council tax in Canada but there is property tax instead, which is effectively the same thing and costs about the same. There are some communities where you actually have to pay to have your garbage removed, by purchasing some sort of tags which are traded for the removal of the bags. Inconvenient? Yes!
Most importantly, you need to know about the sad state of affairs in the aviation industry in Canada compared with Britain. There was a salary survey in Canada's "Wings" magazine back in November I think. Have a good look at what kind of salaries most pilots are on. Dismal reading. Shocking actually. I made more money in my second year as an FO here in Britain than an A320 captain for a Canadian Charter airline makes. I don't know if you have a job here in the UK but with 3000 hours I assume you do or at least you did and have some decent experience. You can expect to take a 50% pay cut for the equivalent job unless you are very lucky and get in with one of the (few) companies that pay somewhat reasonably.
Having said all that it should be very cheap to convert your licences, just sit some ATPL exams (there are only two I think) and do your instrument rating test, as well as a commercial test. Very inexpensive in relation to the CAA's system here in the UK. You will also find that Canadian airlines have ridiculously high entrance requirements and many seem to like guys to have lots of turboprop command time. Here in Britain it is entirely possible that you may have only jet time which in Canada doesn't seem to count for a lot on its own. There seems to be a mentality in the big airlines (oops sorry there is only one big airline now isn't there) where they like guys who have busted a gut in the north flying clapped out old airplanes for piss poor wages. A bit of "I had to do it so everyone else who joins this airline damn well better have to do it as well". Don't ask why. Just accept it. Everyone else does and always have.
I miss Canada. Wish I could live there. But as long as I am a pilot I can never go back. Quality of life in Canada is great, but not if you are a pilot. You will probably make more money as a taxi driver. I'm not joking.
[This message has been edited by Lazlo (edited 18 February 2001).]