Canadian Pilot Shortage?
 

I was just curious if there is a pilot shortage in Canada? With US airlines like Skywest hiring Canadian pilots over US pilots, etc. Is Air Canada, WestJet, etc. hurting for pilots?

I haven't seen anything about Canadian pilots being hired by US carriers yet, however to answer your second question, WestJet and Air Canada are having no issues finding pilots, their regionals are starting to feel a pinch, like the regionals in the US, maybe just a year or two behind.

Does Canada have the 1500hr rule?

If not I suspect their 'shortage' will never come.

Nope, straight out of college with 200 hours you're in an RJ. A couple of years of that and then Air Canada.

Why is it that only the USA has such crazy hour requirements and hoops to jump through? "Temporarily" (hopefully) working as an instructor to foreign students. I'll be extremely lucky to get a job flying a King Air while my former students will be jetting across the world in transport category aircraft.

Its just a way for the government to please the public and say they did something about it. In all reality the accident had nothing to do with hours but rather the type of training the crew received plus being fatigued.

Because the government hates freedom.

Too many unemployed locals with CPL in some Asian countries. I'd be happier in US doing instructing or doing Part 135 until I hit 1500 hrs and go to regional. With those sign-up bonuses, the annual salary works out to be on par with local Asian pilot salaries anyway.

The accident DID have something to do with flight time. Both pilots got into a transport category too early in their careers. They never got a chance to fine tune basic airmanship skills in smaller aircraft. They were put into planes that had enough power and automation to cover up mistakes.

A 250 hour pilot can fly a 777. The problem is that after a few years, they still won't have the real world experience needed to upgrade and if they did, it would be dangerous if they got paired with another 250 hour pilot.