Reliable walkie talkie/radio

What distance are you trying to cover? You need to research Canadian FCC regulations. They may use different frequencies for their non-licensed radios.

Canada

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6. Can I bring purchased licence-exempt radio devices from other countries into Canada? Although licence-exempt radio devices sold in other countries often have similar technical parameters, they may not meet applicable Industry Canada regulatory requirements. For this reason, it is illegal for consumers to import radio devices into Canada that do not bear a label with an Industry Canada certification/registration number. Please see RSP-100 for more information. In addition, importers of radiocommunication equipment should be aware that other federal regulatory requirements may apply. For more information regarding radio equipment importation requirements, please consult the Canadian Border Services Agency.

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If you're not worried about licensing requirements, you may want to go with something like a Baofeng. I have a few of the UV-5R models, but haven't tested out their true range. This model uses 5 watts of power. There is also an 8 watt model. I regularly use them with people that are using Midland or Cobra radios. If they aren't using privacy settings, it's easy to look up what frequency their radio channel converts to. The privacy settings can be a little bit more tricky, but it is possible.