I can't help on the regional part, other than to suggest perhaps googling "pool solar Canada" for a broader sample of people from a similar or colder climate. As to price it is a function of panel coverage, type of panel, quality, DIY vs Professional Install, etc. The big thing here is to match up your selection and your expectations, adding a solar heater that will extend your swim season by a month on either end is going to be very different from adding one that will extend you to 9 or 10 months of the year. This is not just about size of the panels, but also type, typical unglazed black "plastic" panels only effectively work if the peak daytime temperature is within about 15 degrees of your desired pool temperature, beyond that and their effective BTU transfer starts dropping off considerably, and gets even worse if you add wind. Going beyond that 15 degree F window and you start getting into the realm of much more expensive glazed panels, and other technologies. As to panel cost of unglazed solar panels, I just installed a new set of 4x12 Techno Solis panels as a semi DIY project (had a couple of professional roofers do the roof top part), panels ran about $270 each including mounting hardware kit delivered, plus about $300-$350 for PVC, plumbing fittings, glue etc. I already had a solar controller ($350 and up depending on model, mine with automatic valve now sells around $500), labor was 2 half days for 2 guys, (one was mostly a helper) for the roof top part (11 panels, plus running PVC to the edge of the roof), and about the same labor time for me doing the ground level plumbing, this was replacing all my old exposed solar PVC, making things line up with the old pipes, holes was the hardest part. I would call these panels an mid range option, cheaper panels can be found for under $200 each, and I had price quotes that went as high as about $450 each for somewhat better panels.
Ike
p.s. also add about 4 hours of prep time, laying out the panels on the ground, painting the PVC going on the roof, and of course a LOT of hours spent online doing research, reading installation manuals from several companies, etc.
