Not a Canadian, but: get something that’s common. The more people that have had the car, the more reliable it usually is and the cheaper are parts and repairs.
My first car was a Hyundai Getz which was about 10 years old when I got it, and she died of rust 4 years later. But it was cheap, reliable and had AC.
It had a dead transmission when I bought it, poor thing did not get a wash after winter.
My Audi that I’ve been driving for 8 years gets her belly washed every month. No rust in sight so far.