Don't be dissuaded by the above replies.
If the rules haven't changed, you will be able to live and work in Australia for a year, and possibly extend that to 2 years if you spend 3 months of your first year working in a rural area. Make sure you have a good handle on the immigration rules before you make any big decisions.
If I were you, I'd visit on a holiday first and get your licenses transferred and medicals sorted etc etc. You will also be able to scope out potential employers as long as it isn't breaking any laws, you may need to exercise some discretion at the border so as to be allowed in as a tourist in this regard.
When you have made some contacts and got your licenses organised (you're allowed 3 months at a time on a tourist visa), leave the country, head to Bali or NZ or PNG and keep holidaying. When you're ready, head back to Australia and activate the work visa. That way, you don't spend the first 3 months of your visa looking for work and sorting out licenses.
If it were me, I wouldn't be too worried about trying to line up work before you get there, you will meet people as you do the conversion and I'm sure you'll be calling into airports as you travel. Just be aware, we don't do a lot of two pilot IFR in Australia like you do in Canada so you could well be expected to do single pilot ME IFR.
I can't see any of the bigger operators (QLink, Virgin, Rex etc) giving you work on the basis of a one year visa but you may be able to get work in a more remote part of Australia flying tourists or charters. It would certainly be something that very few of your Canadian buddies would ever get to do.
All the best with it and keep us in the loop.