tanding day diving with Torpedo Rays Scuba Adventures while visiting Halifax on a cruise, and I…read morecan't recommend them highly enough. Most divers dream of coral dives in the warm waters of the Bahamas, but you'd be missing out an incredible experience in the cool waters of Nova Scotia. Water temperatures were around 45°F, so I happily opted for a drysuit, and the team made sure I was comfortable and prepared before we entered the water. In the comfort of a drysuit the water temperature was not an issue at all. The first site was calm and serene, with soft-bottom terrain, hermit crabs, and fascinating marine life. One highlight was swimming beneath a dock and discovering a lobster trap packed with lobsters. The second site featured beautiful eel grass fields, a mild current, and an incredible granite archway. What truly made the experience exceptional, however, was Alex. From the moment he picked me up at the cruise terminal until he dropped me back off, he was friendly, knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely passionate about diving in Nova Scotia. He handled every detail seamlessly, shared fascinating local knowledge throughout the drive, and made the entire day feel more like diving with a longtime friend than a guide I had just met. Alex even took underwater photos and videos for me with my GoPro, helping capture memories I otherwise wouldn't have had. As an added bonus, we stopped at Peggy's Cove Lighthouse after the dives, which was the perfect way to round out an already fantastic day. If you're visiting Halifax and considering diving, do yourself a favor and book with Torpedo Rays Scuba Adventures. Whether you're an experienced diver or trying cold-water diving for the first time, Alex will make sure you have a safe, memorable, and enjoyable experience. I would absolutely dive with Torpedo Rays again and hope to return someday for more Nova Scotia adventures.

I don't give out five stars lightly, despite grade inflation these days. Jason, the owner of…read moreTorpedo Rays totally earned every one of these stars, and then some! It was incredibly refreshing to find a business owner who actually goes the extra mile for his customers. Not only is he available via email, but he seems to monitor the thing 24/7 for any chance to help a customer out! I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to freeze to death now, thanks to Torpedo Rays dive shop, and the Weazel "Michelin man" undergarment. weazel In 40 years of diving, I've never had such an enjoyable experience in a dive shop, and rarely do I discover such life-changing products. Thanks Jason! Any time I need dive gear in Nova Scotia, I'll be back to Torpedo Rays!

Atlantic Cirque is a school for circus arts that offers training for people who are serious about…read morelearning circus skills, and those who just want to try things out and have fun. I fall into the latter category - okay, I've always wanted to run away and join the circus - so my sister arranged a birthday party here for me and ten of my best friends. Holy fun! Our little group had the facility - which is inside a warehouse in a business park in Dartmouth - to ourselves, while our young and flexible teachers patiently instructed us on the safest ways to dangle from a trapeze, jump on a trampoline, and swing from silks suspended from the ceiling. We had a great time and a lot of laughs at our own expense. Who knew that legs could bend that way? Ouch.

I used to go here when I was younger and had the best time and fell in love with circus arts!! It's…read morein a great location and fun for families and kids!!!

I've only ever been to Armbrae for one reason - to play sports in their gymnasium. From having…read moreplayed sports in almost every school gym in the Halifax area, I can honestly say that Armbrae is one of my favorites. Its newly built gymnasium/ multi-purpose centre is phenomenal! It nice and large - about twice the size of an average gym, with exceptionally high ceilings, quality equipment and modern design. The gym is always very clean and well taken care of. The only problem we sometimes experience is when one of our balls land on the 2nd level, as we don't have access to the staircase, but somehow always manage to get them down.

We are professional working parents, with a kid entering primary grade. We visited Armbrae Academy,…read moreand another private school (Halifax Grammar School), in January 2017. Pros and Cons: Armbrae junior school has a relatively small class size (18 kids), and plan to recruit teacher assistants (8 AM-12 noon) for younger grades starting Sept 2017. They have an afterschool program until 5 30 PM, which is included within the tuition fees. The director of the junior school was enthusiastic and kind but seemed somewhat inexperienced. Both the junior school director and the primary grade teacher have their kids at school, and appeared to have vested interest in making positive changes to the school. They have a large gym but unfortunately both the gym and music room are detached from the main building (need to dress us in winter clothes to walk over there from main building). The senior school does not have and IB program and kids don't do as well in national math competition compared with HGS. Admission Process: The director of the junior school took the time to answer our questions and accompany us on a school tour, but the school did not seem very well prepared for parent visits (e.g. met in hallway on two separate occasions with no private place to talk). Unfortunately, the admission process itself at Armbrae went horribly wrong. We were given false information regarding the admission process / wait list by the junior school director and the headmaster admin assistant. We were told there is a guaranteed spot for our kid if we elect to enroll pending satisfactory evaluation. We were made to go through the whole process of application / kid interview, to be sent a letter by mail later offering us a spot on the wait list as there are actually no spots available. The director of the junior school honestly took responsibility for his own wrong doing in this matter (providing false information, withholding relevant updates, and lack of courtesy to parents), while the headmaster dishonestly tried to fully deflect the blame on more junior members.

Loved our time at WillowBrae! The facility is one of the best I've seen. My son was sad to leave…read more The web cams were a great plus - it helped knowing I could log on at anytime and see what was happening at the center. The facility is clean, the meals are great and the classes seemed to have enough resources. The improvements to the backyard were fantastic and the kids love to be outside. I only wish they spent more time outdoors. Some teachers took advantage of the trails behind the center and took the kids on little learning expeditions to see wild life! Great learning opportunity.

My concerns with Willowbrae is wholly about the corporate inflexibility and arguable gouging of…read morefamilies. The care our twins recieved there was good. Their teachers were caring, they were fed well and obviously nurtured. Routines were consistent, communication is solid. During the two weeks we were there, it was clear that there was some sense of community as there was a fundraiser going on for a family facing some severe health challenges. And perhaps that last point is what I find so frustrating about their corporate policies.Willowbrae is extremely expensive; amongst the highest in the city. There's certainly some perks (cameras, an app, fancy security, etc) that are being paid for with the fees. We moved to the city for my husband's work while I was pregnant. As our twins neared one year old my efforts to return to work picked up. When offered a very desirable job, I was asked to start in 3 weeks, giving me 2-3 weeks to find two infant childcare spots - which is kind of like looking for a unicorn. I called 17 providers. After a week, willowbrae returned my call with a unicorn. I went to look at it and was impressed. I was told that the pricing was competitive and in line with other providers. I was also told I had to make a decision quickly. So we did and signed the contract, paid registration and deposits. The night before the kids started, another daycare called; one that had been on my radar, that was more convenient on our commute and... Would save us $800 a month. As a non profit, family focused daycare, they did 3 things right off the bat that made it clear this we should make the move: - they agreed to hold the spots for 2 weeks so we could get SOME value for the $2500 we had paid to Willowbrae. - the do not require a registration fee or deposit - they told me that the spots had opened up for our two BC a mother had lost a job, and she was not charged anything for the sudden need to leave. We told Willowbrae the next morning, our first morning, that we would be leaving in 2 weeks. We acknowledged we owed them 30 days notice and expected to have to pay for the following 2 weeks after we left. Not good enough for them. They insisted they would have to charge us for the complete following month. See their policy for contact changes is 30 days notice beginning on the first day of the next month. So we told them on the 13th and they had us pay for the following 49 days. Had we told them on the 28th, we'd have owed 34 days. If we had said on the 3rd we had owed for 59 days. When each day was costing us over $100, this approach to contract changes which can sometimes be controlled by families but often cannot, is unfair - an opinion shared by most I talk to. We exchanged several phone calls and emails with local franchise administration who continually deferred to the corporate policy being immovable. Meanwhile the corporate office did not return any of my calls and the local franchise refused to give me direct contact information. I will - boldly but confidently - say that I ensured all conversations and communications were polite, aware of the uncomfortable conflict I was bringing to people. I assured them that I respected their people, appreciated their service, but needed them to consider my situation. In the following month I also confirmed that they aren't really all that competitive, running $100-400 more expensive a month for each infant space than EVERYONE else I talked to. The whole experience with Willowbrae cost us nearly $4000 for our 13 month old twins. And it was still worth it to us to move. We are extraordinarily happy in our new spot. My advice to others is, Willowbrae offers a great calibre of chilecare but customer service, family relation in this situation and flexibility is garbage. You must be confident in your choice - and many of you will have that luxury - and you must be committed to staying, because they are committed to making it miserable for you to leave.

We couldn't be happier with our decision to send our daughter to the Halifax Early Childhood School…read more(HECS). She has loved her 2 years of pre-school, and comes home with songs, crafts, stories and yoga moves which she enjoys sharing with the rest of the family. The teachers are superb and have a wonderful way with the children, encouraging them to work collaboratively, share creative ideas, grow in independence, and treat each other kindly. In addition to the sunny indoor space, there is a wonderful backyard playground so the children have outside play time. And during winter months, the indoor 'obstacle course' is a big hit. If you are looking for a nurturing, fun, organized pre-school, then look no further, HECS is the place. I highly recommend it.

This preschool is amazing. Our son went here for two years, and now our daughter is in her first…read moreyear. The school is a loving and caring environment where childrens' learning is continually fostered through play. The teachers are AMAZING!! They know all the kids so well, and tailor the curriculum to each of them and their individual needs at the time beautifully. The school also feels like a real community - there is a bi-annual backyard party in the beautiful, treed backyard playground, a weekly e-mail goes out with pictures of all the kids, and there is an annual beer and art show which is fun for the parents. We can't speak highly enough of this school and would certainly encourage any family looking for a half day preschool (rather than daycare) program to enroll their kids.

We moved to Halifax from a very large city with a plethora of school offerings. We were looking…read morefor a school for our two children that was heavy on the art offerings and that fosters and celebrates individuality in a more advanced way than other schools we reviewed. We found all we were looking for at Shambhala. The staff went out of their way to welcome us and integrate our children into the school community. We appreciate the caring and gentle atmosphere the school promotes which allows my kids to thrive and explore artistic avenues they wouldn't have been exposed to in their prior schools. My family is proud to be newly Canadian, and we consider ourselves lucky that we found Shambhala School as soon as we did.

I was in shambhala school from primary - 6 grade for the amount of money you would spend per year…read moreon education, it isn't better than public school education, which is free.

My daughter went here 20 years ago. Not sure if it is still open or run by the same people but it…read morewas tbe best decession i ever made to send my child there. It was recomended by a frend who used tbe day care for many years. My daughter would run throught tbe doors and would beg to stay longer when i picked her up. Lots of outtings and in-house programs. I was told when my daughter started school she was very advanced for her age. That speaks for itself. Very little to no staff change overs. Good to see consistency.

The Maple Tree Montessori School is a beautiful and calming space, designed lovingly for preschool…read moreaged children. I've been spending some time here lately, practicing yoga when class is not in session. The school is open-concept, consisting of one large room with hardwood floors and large south facing windows. There are lots of neat looking supplies for art projects, plus a full kitchen where I'm assuming fresh meals are prepared for the kids attending classes. If you're looking for a place to send your kiddies to preschool, you should look into the Montessori approach, which focuses on developing children's' skills in a safe and creative environment. If you have the chance to attend a yoga or meditation class here, you should take it. The space really is lovely and it's nice to be privy to different educational settings within the Halifax community.

Plus side, nice clean space and lots of creative supplies. Fresh baked muffins and healthy snacks…read more Montessori learning and kids yoga and music which is awesome. Teachers were very nice. Negative side, on top of a higher rate for this daycare, all food is not included; you must provide fresh fruit or vegetables daily for snack, there is no progress or feedback for individual students and they do not pack water for their daily park/playground trips as there no toilet in the park, and do not always get outside twice a day, as per standard. Also, the schedule is around the private school sked so if you are working parents, prepare to try to find care for your 4/5 yr old 18 days around Christmas, March break and the last two weeks of June (when there is no childcare camp program at that time of year). Felt like parent teacher night was just a general speech by the owner talking to/at everyone, only interaction with other parents was the last day, nothing to encourage relationships and friendships like other daycares I have experienced. Would be better if they gave individual feedback from teachers on how your child was doing, progress or creativity, even just something they did or if they had a good day, drop offs and pick ups could be warmer to make parents feel welcome.