I know that’s not part of your original question but please look into whether you can still work or not. My situation was not 100% the same, but similar and the immigration lawyer we consulted said I cannot work while waiting for the new OWP because I wasn’t reapplying for the same type of permit (I was here originally under the IEC category too). That was last year so maybe things changed. It might very well be different for you for other reasons too, I just think you should make sure so there’s no problems later.
Sorry I’m no real help with your actual questions. I’m in BC too and the way I understood it, if you’d sign up for the first time you could do that the moment your status changes. That change in status could also just be to PR applicant If you fulfill their other requirements. After that there’d still possibly be the waiting period of around 3 months. Do you have any other coverage just in case? (
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/are-you-eligible/applicants-for-permanent-resident-status)
I hope everything will work out for you.
Added: about that work permit. I definitely read both, so you might be right to work. And some of those immigration lawyers seem kind of shady, so take that with a grain of salt. I just meant you should make certain you can work. And writing that you assume you are on implied status didn’t quite sound like it. I never bothered to investigate at the end because I didn’t have a great job at the time and it definitely wasn’t worth any risk at all.