This is the process to convert an FAA pilot licence to a Transport Canada licence. If you don’t have an FAA licence, check this page out.
Short answer:
1. Get a Medical. You must get the medical certificate in hand before you are allowed to do the conversion exams. After seeing a doctor it takes 4-5 weeks to get the medical certificate mailed to you. The medical from your FAA licence must also be valid in order to do the conversion.
2. Fill out the Licence Validation Form This process can take up to 90 days, but it usually done in less.
3. Prepare for the conversion exams by going to Pilottraining.ca and select the ground school that is required. Cost range is $50 to $200 depending on the licence to convert.
4. Once you have a medical in hand and are ready for the exam, schedule the exam (Contact Prairie Northern Region--Winnipeg district office). Exam fees are $105 for each exam.
5. Complete application at a Transport Canada office (Contact Prairie Northern Region--Winnipeg district office). It can take up to 90 days to receive the actual licence. Also fill out Aviation Document Booklet application and bring in a passport picture (original) for the Aviation Document Booklet.
If you also want a Canadian radio exam, you can again prepare for exam with pilottraining.ca and complete the test with almost any flying school.
The long answer (Transport Canada website)

If currency requirements are also required (depending on country’s requirements), there are a couple of options to do this:

• Complete the conversion as described above, wait until the document booklet is issued, and then fly on the basis of the Canadian licence (this option takes the longest because of the wait time to convert the licence and then receive the document booklet).
• Do a Foreign Licence Validation Certificate (FLVC). This certificate would be based on the foreign licence you hold (licence must be valid). To apply for the FLVC:
1. Fill out this form
2. Include a copy of your licence, medical, and the form, and fax it to 204 984 2069
or email it to info@harvsair.com to pass on to Transport Canada.
It takes 1-2 days to process and then you can fly solo in a Canadian
registered airplane.
Cost is $45 Canadian.
You can also arrange to have the validation sent to us so then it’ll be here when you get here.
• If you hold a Canadian Medical, you can complete the PSTAR examination. Go here to prepare. A student pilot permit would then be issued. You would have to fly under the supervision of an instructor.

Cost of currency would depend on the hours required. Please contact info@harvsair.com for aircraft rates and also describe what you would need to do for the currency.

Foreign Licence Validation Certificate

The Foreign Licence Validation Certificate (FLVC) is available to pilots who want to come to Canada to time build hours/experience, or fly recreationally in Canada. This is available for anyone with a current International Licence and can be more convenient then a full conversion. The process to apply for it is as described below:

1. Fill out this form
2. Include a copy of your licence, medical, and the form, and fax it to 204 984 2069
or email it to info@harvsair.com and it will be passed on to Transport Canada.
It takes 1-2 days to process and then you can fly solo in a Canadian registered airplane.
Cost is $45 Canadian and may be paid by credit card, certified cheque, money order (cheques should be made payable to “Received General for Canada")
The FLVC is valid for not more then 1 year.
You can also arrange to have the validation sent to us so then it’ll be here when you get here.