Absolutely not too late if you go the european route. Do the JAA ATPL in the US, most cost effective way to go. I am a Canadian working in Europe and I've seen both sides of Atlantic. Way better in Europe, overall. The majority of FO's I fly with have under 1000 hrs, total time!, and they are in the right seat of a medium jet (72,000kgs). In Canada, 1000 hrs won't get you the right seat of a turboprop. These guys pay for their type ratings and although most canadians balk at that, here it's seen as part of their educational background. Here, a guy with 3000 hrs total time probably has most of that on a 737, A320, so on..and they are seen as ready for an upgrade. I'd say 5 years to a left seat in a medium jet in Europe (from a cold start) is very feasible. Just wished I had known about this 20 plus years ago when I started flying in Canada. Also, they make in the right seat what I made in Canada in the left seat! Don't beat your head against a wall in Canada..go to Europe if you want to fly and get treated as a professional.