Whatever you do, get all agreements on paper. Word of mouth doesn't slide in court (if it gets to that over a broken lease).
You will have to research your apartments. If you move into a complex that has a lot of old people, it will be much more quiet than if you move into a complex with teenage angst. Also, keep in mind if there is a major street nearby - fire trucks can be annoying at odd hours.
Generally, if you want quiet, you will have to pay a lot of money to live in the apartments that have the uniformed people open the front doors for you (i forget what they are called). These apartments, at least in the Boston area, run at 3200$ per month for a one bedroom, large (15x25) livingroom, kitchen, bath.
If you are looking for budget apartments (boston prices: $600-$1800 per month), you will almost not have a chance of finding a quiet comfortable place.
Good luck!
I have no clue what prices are like in Canada. Push comes to shove, Boston prices I listed are a "worst case scenario" and you will see prices for $150-$800 with $1200 being the "lux" point.