A Few "Non-Smoker Newbie" Thoughts

1) The process is a lot slower.

2) A pipe suits many interests.

3) Flavored tobaccos taste exactly what they smell like, but only after years of smoking a pipe and learning proper technique.

4) We do have many Canadian members.

5) Many do smoke infrequently, many smoke several bowls per day.

Number 2 is a great analogy. And I would say yes.

1. No

2. Yes

3. It's better

4. I don't. Others here do

5. I smoke whenever I want. You smoke whenever you want.
6. You're going to have to find all this out for yourself before you will really know the answers to these questions. You must experiment with life. Consider pipe smoking such an experiment.

First off, welcome to the forum!
1) I find pipe smoking relaxing. It's a little more involved than lighting a cigarette but worth it in my opinion. I can't speak to cigarettes as I've never tried them or would want to. You generally don't inhale pipe smoke into your lungs. Some would argue this makes them 'healthier' and I would tend to agree.
2) yes! In the same way that a campfire needs attention your pipe fire does too. Learning to tend it is part of the journey. Pipes are a very contemplative affair (see 1). I use my 'pipe time' to reflect on a number of things.
3) there are countless blends to suit countless tastes. There are different types of tobacco leaf (latakia, Cavendish) and they have different flavours. Same as how there are different blended scotches. Starting out they will all probably taste the same to you, but again, its the journey and self discovery that's key.
4) I'm from Canada, and can IM you some info if you'd like. Tins of tobacco go for $40 at my local shop which I used to think was normal. Its not!
5) I smoke exactly one bowl a week which would cause some folks on here to lose their minds! Some smoke more, others less. Its not a race or competition. This forum is so welcoming, we take all kinds! Further, I only use my pipe when the weather is nice, so I might have one or two more goes before that's it.
Hope this helps!

I would not recommend starting camp fires in a hotel lobby, even if you have a pipe.

I'm from Canada too.
4noggins.com is a good place to buy, if you keep your purchases to small amounts (1-2 tins), both in quantity and final selling price.

I agree, moderation's good. Some smoke all the time and really enjoy it, but if you can enjoy a pipe but keep it occasional, that is probably better. Don't get into inhaling or retro-haling (through the nasal passages). Again, some must do that, but you don't have to start. My usual advice: starting out, buy only in small quantity, even if you find something you really like. Your taste will change. Take it slow and easy. Relights are fine. Dottle (unburnt tobacco left in the pipe) is fine. Just enjoy. Otherwise, what's the point?

Sounds like you got your stuff together and you are making a rational decision to start smoking a pipe. I fully welcome you to the dark side, my friend. Fred Hanna once said that pipe smoking is on of the most underrated pleasures known to man. I think most pipe smokers would agree, I know I do.
I have a couple of friends that live up in Canada and while it is much harder to get tobacco for a fair price there, it certainly is not impossible. The downside of ordering from America is you have to keep your tobacco purchases to under 200g at a time others wise you might get a ridiculous tax added on.
If you like campfires, you definitely need to get started on Latakia blends first.

Even with amounts smaller than 200 g you can get legally robbed blind (tax on tobacco, HST and handling fee). First time I ordered from smokingpipes.com the amount was 150 g and I was dinged for ~$35. High, but it was reasonable (and still cheaper than buying the same stuff here, assuming some of it was available locally, which it wasn't). A couple of weeks or so later I placed another order at smokingpipes.com for three tins of 50 g each. The total was only six to eight dollars higher than the previous one, and this time I got dinged with an $115 charge! I refused to pay and sent the parcel back for reassessment –still haven't heard about it.
Do note that the tax-free tobacco 200 g exemption only applies if you have been outside of Canada for more than 48 hours. Some website reports or implies that you can import tobacco by mail and benefit from such exemption: this is incorrect if you've not travelled.
Thus, keep your purchases spaced out and to a minimum of 1 to 2 tins. That way, the CBSA (Customs Bull$hit Agency) might choose not to bother or keep the charges relatively low/reasonable. Since you plan on occasional smoking, a 50 g tin should last you a couple of weeks or more. An average bowl is ~5 g of tobacco.
For beginners, I –a humble beginner myself– have learned that it's probably much better to start with an English blend. Aromatics are nice but they do tend to burn hotter and wetter, which will likely make it difficult to keep the pipe lit and will require numerous relights, with the subsequent havoc wreaked on your tongue (this depending on how sensitive your mouth is to heat as well, everyone's different). Good news here is that even at sobering $40+ prices you're likely to get Dunhill tins in our country. Regina has only one B&M pipe shop and I've seen Dunhill and Peterson, and even McClelland tobaccos there (although nothing like the cornucopia you see on 4noggins or smokingpipes.com). Some suggest Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe is a good blend to start: it's English, medium, and not too moist right out of the tin.

If you like campfires, you definitely need to get started on Latakia blends first.

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You think it'd be possible to develop on that one?

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Latakia blends taste the way a campfire smells. A good order of tobacco to try for user friendliness would be this.
1) Burley Blends - Cool smoking will nearly smoke themselves. Strong, nutty/cocoa flavor.

2) Latakia Blends - Cool smoking, more complex. Smokey and sweet.

3) Virginia/Burley - Virginias have a high sugar content, and burn hotter. The addition of burley helps to cool them. Nutty, earthy, and sweet.

4) Virginia/Perique - A bit more complexity than "VaBur" blends with pepper/plum/bread notes.

5) Virginia Blends - High sugar content, burns hotter, but very sweet and grassy.

6) Aromatic Blends - Casings and topping make these need more heat to burn, but with accumulated experience and proper technique, are a joy to smoke.

I purposely left Virginia Oriental blends out, even though they are my personal favorite. On my list, they would best fit around four or five. They are a but of a wild card, and taste of sweet grassiness with some great sour notes. When exploring Virginia blends, they can be placed in any order on the list of types of Virginia blends I listed.

The thing is, as a "not-even-pipe-smoking-yet" person, I'd like to try aromatics first in order to enjoy the smell (don't know if I'll enjoy the smell of just tobacco) and I'd really like my wife to enjoy my soon to be new hobby.

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You likely won't be able to taste them yet, and end up with a very raw tongue.

Beginner friendly = Carter Hall.

Don't get into inhaling or retro-haling (through the nasal passages).

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No point in smoking a pipe if you aren't gonna snork it! I'm gonna start a new thread. This interests me.