I suspect you're right DAR.
I had come across your friends website, but not emailed him. I was going to do the factory Lake course in Florida (if I decide to buy a lake), but Canada certainly could be interesting. I'll drop him a line.
Thankfully, you don't need to go through all that TSA nightmare to do a seaplane rating in the US (as long as you have the piggyback) and I'm sure Canada is even easier. Speaking of which - do you need a Canadian validation to be able to train there?
Some of them who've responded recommend a float plane SES first and then transition to Lake, but I'd rather spend all that time in the Lake getting that right. The factory one is 10-15hrs, depending on skills. I could do it on the cheap in Arizona in 5hrs, but I think that would be cutting it a bit close to the bone.
SlipSlider - yes there are 2 Lake Buccaneers on the register, 4 if you count Renegades. I've been trying to get a hold of the owners to hear about their experiences servicing, insuring etc, but no luck yet. Thanks for you tip.