With a few exceptions, only the naturalized immigrant may apply for a record created since 1917. The National Archives of Canada has microfilmed copies of passenger arrivals in Quebec from 1865, in Halifax from 1880, and other ports in Canada and USA from c1905 - all to 1919. There is no index to these records. The LDS has copies of these films. From 1919 lists of arrivals are held by Employment and Immigration Canada.
Access is by application, subject to restrictions and payment of a fee.
In Ontario, the title to land is recorded by location, not owner. Thus it is necessary to determine where your ancestor lived through other means, like census or directories, before looking for land transactions. All records used in genealogical research were created for other purposes. The information collected was that which was required for a specific project. Records are transferred to archival repositories when no longer needed for the original purposes.