Hi Jetgate,
With reference to that long JAA/FAA slanging match currently ongoing on the other thread (I think I'll stay out of that one) - in the long run isn't that just going to benefit other nations outside the EU who's licenses are good for PPL flying in the UK?
Darkstar, if you’re just looking to gain a license in Canada with which to fly day VFR in the UK I don’t think there is any need to convert at all. Please correct me if I'm wrong (anybody), but there is no need to convert a Canadian license for day VFR and I've hired G registered aircraft over here with a Cdn PPL without any problems. This is presuming you meet the minimum hours requirements but if you're going all the way over there you may as well rack up a few while it's cheap! I've never felt the desire to convert because there's no obvious advantage and it's (predictably) expensive. If I were to want to gain further qualifications in the UK then it would be necessary, but I'd rather spend considerably fewer of my pounds training in Canada and move outside of the EU to fly.
Even if they do make training in America prohibitively difficult, given the enormous cost differential people are still going to want to go and train elsewhere where such oddities as landing/nav fees and incredibly expensive avgas are alien concepts. I consider myself to be patriotic but that doesn't mean I'm going to bankrupt myself trying to self fund flying qualifications in the UK when I can do it somewhere else considerably cheaper, in more complex aircraft, with better weather and more open airspace.
Rant over
Are you going to the summer Gatbash Jetgate?