I'm gonna play devils advocate here: why a Transporter? At least in the UK the price is massively inflated by the VW scene. I've seen 8 year old T5s go for the same price as 2 year old Transit Customs. In my experience cheaper Transporters just aren't worth looking at, they're definitely getting towards the end of their life.
Many older Transporters have rust issues, so that's definitely something to look for.
Not sure what the market is like over in Canada, but over here alternatives giving much better value for money include the Mercedes Vito (Metris), Toyota Hi-ace, and domestic vans (such as those offered by Euro manufacturers, Vauxhall etc)