Travel Insurance - 1 year - What did you do?

After being out of the province for 183 days or more in a calendar year you are no longer eligible for Medicare (RAMQ) except for once in seven years you may leave the country for a longer period. You need to fill out a departure form at the RAMQ office detailing when you plan to leave and when you plan to return. Since you are not covered after the 183 days elapses that means if you are injured while in another province or country they don't pay for anything. I'm not sure what happens when you return. I think after you've been a resident for 3 months you're eligible again. In the meantime you need to be covered by private insurance. Just like someone from The States - the government doesn't pay for anything but you can pay a private company to insure you.

I never drove so I don't know happens with the licence but I did read on another thread that Australia doesn't want you to have more than one licence and they punch a hole in your Canadian one. I thought it was possible to apply for an international licence before you depart, but like I said, being a non-driver I haven't paid much attention to that.

I believe your social insurance number is yours for life. When I started working here in Australia I applied for a TFN - Tax File Number, which is basically the same thing as the Canadian SIN. You use it for filing your taxes and your place of work uses it so they can pay the government taxes out of your wages.
I haven't looked into the SIN being revoked because I didn't think that was an issue. I don't see why they would take it away but I don't understand a lot about governments nor their reasons for doing a lot of the things they do.

It doesn't hurt to be straight with the various departments and ask them what you need to do and just do it and deal with it. There's no way you're going to scam them anyway.

My working holiday visa took a whole day to be granted. Maybe less. I applied online and had an email approving me the next day. It was all electronic and I didn't need to have anything put in my passport. When I arrived at immigration at the airport they gave me a stamp and ushered me into the country. Pretty darned easy!