I would not lock in my salary in Cdn dollars unless there is a compelling reason to do so. We (Cdn$) could easily drop further.
I don't have a referral for you, but you absolutely need a cross-border pro to set things up so you don't get badly f***d, now or in the future. Particularly being paid in US $ may complicate things on the tax end.
You don't mention TFSA, and this is a powerful, flexible tax-free vehicle that you should consider using before taxable (unless, of course, there is a tax issue with the American side).
Welcome. You don't say where you're planning to land, but I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd be willing to give you info and pointers about their communities to help you choose.