A few years ago it was something along the lines of
(1) turn up uannounced at local Transport for Canada office with UK licence
(2) bully them into doing it on the spot rather than posting it back to you weeks later (it probably helped that the instructor who took me there knew the system and the people)
(3) go and have lunch
(4) return to pick up your temporary Canadian licence.
Oh, and they didn't care about the "non-JAR compliant" stamp on my medical - there's no way my eyesight meets Canadian PPL standards but they were perfectly happy with my UK medical!
(Plus of course whatever check ride anyone wants before letting you take their aeroplane away.)