Irish electrician moving to Canada, looking for work

Hello there? new to the site, i'm an Irish electrician moving to Canada, probably British Columbia at the start of 2012. I have secured my visa but i keep hitting brick walls in terms of working as an electrician over there. I'm recently qualified and i believe to sit the Red Seal exam in BC you have to prove you have worked 9000 hours on the job, i'm a bit short of that. Does anybody know of any other options open to me? Can I work as a 4th year apprentice or an electricians helper? If so is there much chance of getting work doing that and what kind of wages could i expect? A lot of questions I know but as i said ive hit a brick wall and id really appreciate any info or help you could give me.

Also, if anybody knows of somebody looking for an electrician or apprentice in Canada that would be a massive help.

THANKS in advance!!!!