bchenery,
To get a Red airside Pass in YVR airport, you will need to fill out the application form that will ask for up to the last ten years of residential history.
If you have an airside pass here in Australia, keep a photocopy of that pass, and get a letter from the issuing body stating the length of time and type of back ground check carried out to get it.
Also keep copies of any utility bills with your name on it. Power, water, gas, tv, etc. These bills are to show your name and address, and those address should match the form you fill out at the YVR pass office.
They used to ask for your grandparent info, but that has stopped now. If your parents have passed away, you will also have to provide a death certificate.
Also don't forget, to rent a place you will need a job, the land lord will ask and possibly call your employer to confirm.
You will need a British Columbia drivers licence to drive on airside, so get your BC licence asap when you arrive.Not a big deal.
Best of luck in Canada. The chances of getting a job there is slim. You could always do the ski field gig until you get a job at YVR. Big white in Kelowna is owned by an Aussie firm.
I have been living and working in YVR since the mid 1990's. I'm now in Australia. Oh yeah, you might not like the wages there either. just a heads up.