Which Discount Brokerage to use?

I am new to stock trading and looking to open an account online with one of the many discount brokerage firms. I will only be trading canadian equities to start and probably not executing many trades to qualify as an active trader. I will start with a few thousand dollars. I really dont want to go with the big banks as fees and commisions are really high. My 2 questions are 1)Which discount broker would best suit my direction and 2)-Should i open a TFSA if i deposit under $5000 in my account?: