I remember how hard this decision was. Especially as you look online and see that the course outlines and objectives are so similar...(like, is there an actual difference in "developmental psychology" and "psychology along the lifespan" or are colleges just having a lot of fun with semantics in naming courses )

Speaking as a fellow canuck, i do SECOND the suggestion of visiting the college campuses for each program you're interested in. There you can get an idea of the environment, supports, faculty, accessibility...Do this alongside your own research of what each place has to offer (including talking to peers/fellow/former students). I made my choice of college and program after all of that research. It can still be a lot of time and money put away, even though it is college, so you dont want to start...then just be all "UGH! I HATE THIS PLACE WTF is going on !!!" halfway through the 2nd semester AND struggling with the procedures on how to get help or just withdraw and run away...

But i digress... I understand where you are coming from: you have a particular interest, university is just TOO MUCH to start right now, there are a lot of options with college especially to upgrade the diploma to a degree later on. When i applied to colleges, my interest was children, so i did get offers/responses back for the EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION & CHILD AND YOUTH WORKER. Both were about children, both colleges were ok in different ways, and i got a lot of information of what to expect from both. Since my (faraway) goal is working in the teaching field, i picked ECE, because to me there was a stronger emphasis on education and learning about learning from the very young upwards (how do children learn, what do children learn first, when do children learn...). I am currently using my diploma now in my work in community recreation programs. I do know people who have done CYW programs who are also satisfied in their current work. Both of your ^options^ can set the foundation= you will have field placements to get experience and practice, you will need to do a lot of networking, and you will need to be continually uptodate with career trends/changing expectations/progress...

To make a lot of money, you can't just stay at the diploma level though. Most people with Social Service Worker are working toward their BSW for more employment opportunities. Cutbacks to programs that actually help the people who need these services and qualified people like us, mean that many with CYW are upgrading to a degree as well. In the end, consider as well WHERE you want to work and WHY = what are you passionate about? Particular interests start very broad when you start out and will gradually narrow down based on your course work, placements, research, contact with professors, networking, experiences...Since i also wrote a lot, you can PM me too for more clarification and specifics Take care