Hello Martinne! My mom who migrated in August 2013 in Ontario got her G2 license a little over a year after G1, she took the additional road test and successfully passed it the 2nd time around.
My mom is probably still asleep so I took the liberty of googling this for you instead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver's_licence_in_Canada)
ONTARIO
Probationary licence (G2): Available after having held a G1 licence for 1 year, or eight months if the driver has completed and passed a ministry-approved driver education course. Probationary licence is acquired after successfully completing a road test. The driver can now drive without an accompanying driver at any time and on all Ontario roads and highways. Though, the driver must still maintain a BAC of zero and restrict passengers to the number of working seatbelts. As of September, 2005, teenage drivers with a G2 licence are restricted in the number of passengers under 19 that they can carry during night-time driving.[19]
Full licence (G): After 1 year of possessing the G2 licence, a driver must take an additional road test that often includes driving on a highway. With successful completion, they will obtain a full licence, which carries no restrictions and are not required to take any further tests until the age of 80, provided they renew their licence every five years.[20] Drivers aged 21 and under must still have a blood alcohol level of 0, even with a full G licence. Drivers 80 and over must complete a vision and knowledge test and participate in a 90-minute group education session to renew their licence, and the maximum number of years that a licence can be issued for is two years.
Very critical is for you to get a certification from LTO indicating the number of years that you have been driving in the Philippines - this is the requirement for you to get a G1 license. As what was indicated above, you can drive with G1 license but you need to be with an accompanying licensed driver until you get the G2.
It is quite hard according to my parents and sister to travel without a car for long distance travel especially during winter and you missed the scheduled bus arrival. Best location to find work would be areas near the city e.g. Scarborough, Toronto where the MTR/MRT is walking distance.
But as you know, Canada has an efficient mode of transportation (there's GO Transit too!) so it wouldn't be impossible to get to places once you've familiarized yourselves.
Hope this helps
Cheers!
