Canadian here. I was in the same boat about 5 years ago. Many Canadians here use one of the Canadian Couch Potato's (CCC) model portfolios. I use CCC's ETF portfolio. The entire CCC site is great, though it can be a bit overwhelming for newbies.
https://canadiancouchpotato.com/model-portfolios/For a more gentle introduction to index investing, JLCollins Stock Series is also a good resource, though targeted to Americans. It will give you an introduction into the basic why and how of index investing.
https://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series/Andrew Hallam's book "Millionaire Teacher" is also a good resource. He is a Canadian who worked as an expat teacher for several years before retiring early.
I used to have a financial advisor. I still have one for more complex tax stuff and investment planning, but not to purchase investments. Instead, I opened a TD Web Broker account (since I bank with TD). All of the major banks should have an online brokerage. The tellers at any of the banks should be able to direct you on how to open the account. Other Canadians use Questrade or another online trading platform.
Do more reading on the Canadian Couch Potato site before deciding whether to open a trading account and use ETFs or simply buy low-cost index mutual funds, etc.
And if you want specific advice on how to free up money to invest in your particular situation, I would suggest posting a Case Study on the forum. Go the Case Study section and use the outline/format that is posted. Lots of people here will be willing to chime in on how you can cut expenses and increase savings.