Say i visited Canada and got in fine but decided i like it so much i just get an apartment and stay, legal?

[Needful Sinner]

The problem starts the second you decide you're going to stay here or get an apartment.
Unless you are independently wealthy how would you pay for it?

You can't get a legit job in Canada, you don't have a Social Insurance Number.
No company can hire you without one, since it's plugged into Revenue Canada, EI, healthcare, etc.
True you might find an under-the-table job, they pay minimal though... and the second you get pulled over by the police, say they're looking for someone wearing the same colour jacket as you, or you get hurt and need medical help - busted. You got no legit ID or reason to be in Canada so deported you'd be, with a red flag by your name disallowing you from being in Canada in the future, even legally.

That's the scenario. [things work different in Canada, extremely hard to be an illegal alien]

As a tourist you can be in Canada for six months in a calendar year.
If you are from the USA you don't require a visa; here's the list of countries who's citizens do require a visa to enter Canada:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Temporary esidence permits...
"If you wish to extend your status date, you should apply 30 days before your status expires in order to do any of the following:
- extend your visitor, student or work status
- change the type of permit you hold (for example, from a student to a work permit)
- change a condition of your permit (for example, if you are studying and you want to change schools, or if you are working and your want to change jobs)"
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/extend-stay.asp

Simplest way to stay and possible immigrate is being a foreign student.
"More than 130 thousand foreign students come to Canada every year. We want them."
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/...udents.asp