Like I said, I'm new to this. I've been reading about the standard and recommended beginner species to use, but I wanted to locate a sapling come spring time in my area. My local area is Ottawa, Ontario. I've been doing research about the locally native species of trees, but am having a hard time finding information about what most of them are like as a candidate for my first bonsai project. If it helps, this is the province's web page cataloguing the species in my area.

www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/tr...ario-southeast/6E-12

Any information anyone might have would be awesome! Even if that information is that none of these are good candidates for a beginner, and I should just go buy something else a nursery. Thank you!

There are several good candidates there, but may I recommend using nursery material as a beginner. It is best to learn how to care for a tree before digging one up from you the woods, and that's most easily achieved with cheap nursery stock. If you lose the tree, you've lost little, and can start again. I have few issues with the collection of wild material, as I collect many myself, but I think we as a bonsai community have the responsibility to provide that tree as good, or as better, an opportunity to thrive as it had in nature. That can take time & experience. Collected trees take a more care in the early stages because their roots aren't well developed close to the trunk, whereas nursery stock items already have the entire root ball in the pot. They have a higher chance of success with a beginner.
You will inevitably kill some. That's part of it. Happens to everyone. But do you kill a tree that was doing fine in the wild, or one that's already in a pot & ready for a good prune?
I wish you luck - it's an exciting & rewarding venture.