Hey,
one option is to find a fee-based advisor. Have a good read through the Canadian Couch Potato website - there is a lot of good info there.
In short:
1. Max out your RRSP, assuming you will be in a lower tax bracket in retirement than you are now
2. Max out your TFSA, putting Canadian stock ETFs in here (US$ stuff should go in the RRSP as the US sees the RRSP as a retirement fund and thus does not withhold tax; in the TFSA tax is withheld and is NOT reclaimable).
There is a 'one fund' solution (ING Streetwise), a low-cost mutual fund solution (TD eSeries), and a discount brokerage solution (eg Questrade). The first is easy as anything, the second slightly more work but not much more (you'd have to rebalance yourself), and the last is most flexible, cheapest, but requires most knowledge.
Anything with a MER of > 1% is... well, in the long run, likely not to do as well as a low-cost index tracking portfolio. Actively managed funds are (in my opinion, and backed up by research) a losing proposition.
You need to decide what your goal is (retire in 5 years with $500k invested, thus giving you a budget of ~ $20k per year?), then see if you can budget to make it happen.
Spending binges are bad! You need to save everything you can so it will pay you later!!
Post any more details that you feel comfortable doing, but honestly if you are getting 'free' advice from someone - it isn't. They are in the business of making money for their institution primarily :-/