OP, another poster has written about your rights and I see that you got WJ to move your flight around, so that is good. Our last trip with them to WDW was December 2017. We booked at the 11 month mark as soon as flights becamse available [literally the first day we could book the tickets] -- YOW>YYZ>MCO down and direct MOC>YOW return.
Then comes the fall and WestJet announces their new schedule. Our return flight was now a connection via YYZ because they got rid of the direct flights from MCO to YOW (!). We were not amused. The flight they wanted to put us on was now in the morning, meaning we would lose the better part of a day of our trip. We called and said that was not acceptable. They moved us around to another flight that worked better.
Note: Reading WestJets page about "flight and service disruptions" and specifically the section under "delays, cancellations and schedule changes" on "schedule changes" was VERY IMPORTANT as it outlines what WestJet is SUPPOSED to do and in what timeframe -- which for us they did NOT meet [they changed our itinerary due to the schedule change but did not notify us within the required timeframe that the tickets had changed, I had to contact them].
Anyhow, good info to have for the future as WJ seems to like announcing schedule changes for winter and messing with their flights.
As for the connection in Toronto. We've done this a few times now.
It used to be that yes you had to manually claim your bags as part of the process. However, Pearson underwent a lengthy modernization process and for WestJet, Air Canada and many other airlines YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO, the movement of your bags from a DOMESTIC (Canada origin) flight to a USA outbound flight is automated. Well, unless something going wrong, but then it is the airline dealing with the bags, not you ;-)
So, this is how it works:
In Ottawa you are boarding a domestic flight. I would allow some extra time as you may need to go to the checkin counter and verify your passports and such since this is where you are checking in and ultimately you are a US-bound passenger. We always have to go to the checkin counter anyway for other reasons, so can't say if you will be able to do self checkin or will get booted to the counter, sorry. But assume you will be booted to the counter and plan accordingly time-wise.
You'll check your bags at the counter and they will go off to the plane and then you will go down and go through domestic security and to the gate.
When the plane lands in Toronto, follow the signs for USA CONNECTIONS. It is a LONG and TWISTY and CONFUSING walk through Pearson.
Because you are connecting to a USA flight you will need to (1) clear security AGAIN (even though you already did in Ottawa); and (2) clear US Customs.
Before you go into the US Customs room, you will wait in a room that has chairs until your name comes up on an overhead monitor. It should only take a little while. Basically you are waiting for your checked bags to make their way into the US side and be processed. Once it is, your name appears and you can enter the Customs room and get in the line to go through US Customs [they have kiosks now to make it faster; and if you have a Nexus/Global Entry card there is a special line and it is usually even faster].
Note, the seats are important because sometimes luggage decides to take a little adventure inside the airport. This happened to me on a work trip to the US. Fortunately, I had a 4 hour connection, because it took them an hour to find my wayward suitcase and bring it over to the US side -- according to WestJet and Delta my suitcase wanted to stay on the Canadian side of the airport. Anyhow, they knew it was missing; and they knew where it had been (except that was back in Ottawa...) and then once it turned up on the Canadian side where it was not supposed to be they knew that right away and the WestJet employee I was mostly dealing with was able to physically go to where it was and walk it over to the US side so it could enter back into the system on the proper side of the airport. Little bit of an adventure, but the employees and managers of both airlines were very nice and apologetic.
Anyhow, assuming no wayward luggage, you go through Customs. They will show you a picture(s) of your suitcase and ask you to confirm it is yours, so make sure you remember what your checked bags look like !!
Once you are through Customs you are in the US departure hall and go to your gate. There is not much to do in this area and the restaurant offerings are pretty sparse -- I suggest looking up the area on the PEarson website so you have an idea of what s available and where if you plan on trying to eat at all. The Noble Burger place near what is often the WestJet gate to MCO has pretty good food, though at airport prices.
Good luck !
SW
