Yeah just travel insurance for now until the PR comes along and then we'll sort out some gap insurance. I guess I can ask about gap insurance, is it offered by lots of companies or is it some canadian govt offering?
Gap insurance only covers you if you are resident in the province, not visiting. If your partner is a visitor, the need travel insurance. Is your partner by any chance 'visiting under dual intent'???
Anyway, reading on Canadian provincial insurance coverage and gap insurance companies here if this is relevant:
https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Medical_Insurance-Canada
We moved to ON and paid about $600 each for 3 months gap insurance. It is NOT mandatory, but you will be playing 'Russian roulette' without it - all down to your pockets and attitude to risk.
You still haven't said where your partner is from. Travel insurance tends to be very 'national' as the costs are based in part on what healthcare they can get back in their home country in a worst case scenario. Travel insurance companies will generally try to get the patient repatriated ASAP if they can travel as it is cheaper to be treated at home (say on the NHS in the UK) than it is as an international in-patient in Canada or the US (i.e. being charged full whack).