What works? Well, try to look like a performer, not a street person. You don't need an extensive repertoire except to amuse yourself and any nearby street vendors, because nobody stays to listen to more than two numbers at most. You can take as many or as few breaks as you like, you're working for yourself. Location, location location: the universal formula is find the place with the most pedestrian traffic flow, and the least extraneous noise. Preferably where the sidewalk is extra wide or something, so a couple of people stopping won't jam up traffic flow.

Where you put your case is very important. It's got to be right accessible to the traffic flow, so they can contribute without the psychological difficulty of breaking through a ring of listeners to come close to you, but close enough that you can supervise the contents, put some change over the paper if there is any (not much of an issue in Can. any more I guess)

Street drunks are your biggest problem unless you are breaking the law by being there. If they start hanging around, time to pack up and move.

I played mostly hammered dulcimer in my successful busking days--an ideal instrument in that it's loud, tuneful and unusual. But I did it so much that I got sick of the dulcimer, which I now play about once a year.

Ottawa had a licencing system for buskers for awhile, but they gave up on it. Yay! I've also played Montreal (good), Toronto (most lucrative) and Vancouver (you're considered a panhandler there, it seems like. Just didn't get a good vibe.)