I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge one of the representatives at the Bayers Lake location…read more My father had recently passed and I took my mother to get some information updated on their account on March 27th. Pravin was the name of the Rep and he was excellent! Polite, knowledgeable, empathetic and efficient - he is a tremendous asset to Access Nova Scotia!

Very driver focused to the point of being barely on a bus route, and the only services available…read moreafter 4:30pm on Thursday are motor vehicle related. Like someone else said, Inaccessible Nova Scotia! The entire building smells really bad too. It's inexcusable to not have a second more accessible location in a growing city like Halifax is.

You know what nobody ever says? Nobody ever says "Yay! It's time to get new license plates!" It's a…read morepretty well known fact that having to go to Access Nova Scotia usually sucks. It's usually super busy and full of annoying people and nobody likes it. This is why the Sackville location is awesome. It's nowhere near as busy, the staff is super helpful, and it's a much quicker process to getting you in and out. When I went in, I was ready for a long wait. It was lunchtime, and I guessed that it would be packed. I couldn't have been more wrong. I was all finished up, new license plate in hand, in under half an hour. Between the quick turnaround and the blasting AC? Not a bad way to spend a hot summer afternoon.

I seem to keep losing my drivers license on airplanes, so I decided to stop by the Access Nova…read moreScotia in Lower Sackville on my way home so I could do the quick renew. Well I thought it would be quick.. For one there was barely any parking it was so busy.. Driving along the street its not so easy to spot and the parking lot around back was full (especially if you're driving a larger size truck like I was). When I finally did get inside I didn't even go ahead with the whole transaction the place looked absolutely swamped... I suppose it is my fault for going at the end of the work week, so I will go again next week when it's quieter and report back more details.

Love this branch of Access NS. I have never gone in there and had to wait any longer than 20…read moreminutes. Most times, I'm in and out in under 10 minutes.

22 wickets but only 7 are staffed and seeing customers. Middle of the afternoon in the middle of…read morethe week! I hate this agency. In Alberta they use private independant registries. CAA is one of them in AB.

I'm in a bureaucratic nonsense pile currently, dealing with the intricacies of securing…read moredual-citizenship. I'll save you the gritty details of my dealings with a different Country's system, and instead give a loud round of applause to Nova Scotia's Vital Stats department. Thank you for making my life easier! I found out yesterday that I needed a long form birth certificate, and that I needed it in a hurry. I applied online for the document and called the Hollis Street office pronto to find out if the document could be quickly prepared. I spoke with a nice gentleman who sent an email and asked me to call back today. I made the call this morning and was told I could pick it up anytime today! I was also told that the priority post fee of $20 that I paid would be refunded since I was going to pick it up in person. When I got there today, I was greeted by multiple people offering me assistance. I had my certificate in hand within a matter of minutes and was so relived to deal with real people, in person, who seemed to genuinely care about what I needed. I wasn't just a number, and for that Service Nova Scotia, I am very grateful. Thanks again for the great service.

I have used this service a few times. I had to get long Birth Certificates printed for us…read more I thought this was going to be a huge process, but it was very quick and efficient. The lady behind the counter was very friendly and assisted me with filling out the sets of paperwork. She came back with them very quick. Every time I have been here, it has been pretty busy. You go here for just about everything, from wedding licence, birth certificates, etc.

This review is for the City of Halifax. I'm reviewing it as a tourist/visitor and not as a…read moreresident. My husband and I come to Halifax every couple of years, so I feel pretty familiar with the downtown core. I've noticed that the food scene has really diversified in the last few years. I personally come to Halifax for the seafood, so I'm happy with just lobster rolls and fish tacos, lol, but I was happy to see more ethnic restaurants around. Admittedly, most of the shops in the downtown core are touristy, but I'm happy that there are lots of shopping options, ranging from vintage clothes at Elsie's and KingsPier (which recently moved to downtown Halifax from Dartmouth), to high end consignment items at Brilliant, to independently owned boutiques like Sweet Pea and Wildflower (that sell locally made/designed pieces), to Atlantic Canada chain stores like Samuel & Co and Pseudio. I like poking around Park Lane Mall and Spring Garden Place (with its quirky multi-level layout). The waterfront is really pretty. I like the hammocks and Adirondack chairs along the water. I find the water really romantic and it makes me happy to walk along the boardwalk hand-in-hand with my husband while eating ice cream, lol. Growing up in Toronto and now living in Ottawa, I find that Halifax is a bit more laid back. People are not in such a hurry and they are a little bit nicer. I also noticed that there are less douchebag drivers in Halifax than in Ottawa and Toronto, haha. Halifax remains one of my favourite vacation destinations :)

Our cruise ship docked into Halifax on very foggy Sunday morning. Also, because it was a national…read moreholiday, most of the businesses were closed that day. Pretty bummed because I think this city has a lot to offer for the visitor. Halifax has a lot of maritime history, especially with the Cunard ocean line and the Titanic. After we came departed from our ship, we took a half mile walk along the Harbourwalk toward downtown. Even with the fog, it was a very nice walk along the water front. For an industrial port, the water along the edge is so clear, I could see to the bottom. Kids could see jellyfish bobbing on the surface, and starfish at the bottom. Lots of shops and restaurants along this walk and downtown., but as I mentioned earlier, many of them closed. I would like to visit this place again, but hopefully will chose a time when the weather is clear, and when the city is bustling with activity

This is where Nova Scotia Assembly Legislature is housed…read more Visitors are welcome. Climb the stairs and enter from Hollis St. Go through security screening & provide government issued ID. We showed our passports. When the Assembly is in session, you're welcome to watch the proceedings. We were able to walk into several different rooms including the library on the 2nd floor. The first floor provided the history of Nova Scotia and some prominent folks. A free thing to do if you're in downtown Halifax.

One part museum, three parts government building and one part landmark. That's Province House…read more I've been to Province House for a number of events - whether it's for a meeting, a governmental announcement, to watch the House sit, a public announcement or just to be a tourist in my own city. An amazing amount of the space is open to the public (after you've gone through a security checkpoint, of course). There's small museum on the main floor and bits of history are everywhere! You can head up to the second level to see the Red Room or the library. Keep going up and you can sit in the gallery and watch the legislature when it's in session. If you live here and never been, you really should go. If you're visiting, you should also check it out. It won't take long - the majority of space is still closed off from the public but it's a good look at our province's democratic past and present. Pro tip: If you're watching the legislature, put your cell phone away. Seriously, the commissionaires are quite serious about that rule. Quite. Serious.

Our third stop on the DoorsOpenHalifax tour brought us over to the Environment Canada Atlantic…read moreStorm Prediction Centre/Canadian Hurricane Centre. I heard this was one of the most popular stops last year. I really enjoy the nerdy stuff so this seemed right up my alley. It's a guided tour that takes you past their main stations and then into a classroom. The other half of the tour is a room with a couple of displays to show you environment enforcement seized goods, and various weather data collectors. I know they just work with what they got.. but it was a little dry I suppose. Still enjoyable for the geek in me.

Ok, I admit it, I'm not the squeaky clean guy I pretend to be. It's time to come clean…read more ...I had a speeding ticket once. I know, I know, I'm a monster, but hey, what can you do? I won't tell the story of driving a little too fast, only the story of paying my ticket. I went to the courthouse with a heavy heart and a fat wallet and was greeted by a hilariously jovial guard working the metal detector. He told some jokes and asked if I was carrying a bazooka when I set off the metal detector. It was a nice way of being put at ease in a rather tense situation. Lines were fast and efficient, which was nice because I had no interest in being there any longer than I had to be. The lady who served me was cold and unfriendly. It was an annoying experience - I don't think it takes a lot to be polite with somebody who is about the drop a couple hundred dollars on a mistake - but perhaps that is just me. So yeah, the lines are fast, the guards are friendly, but I never want to step foot in this place again - a fact I'm sure the Halifax Provincial Court is very happy about!

Our second stop on the DoorsOpenHalifax tour brought us to the Halifax Provincial Court…read more In other words.. I am probably going to be the only review in here not having a somewhat unpleasant experience. You are ushered through security with the full metal detector treatment, and then they corral you up in groups to be taken through. They showed three of the courtrooms (not the big one that is set aside for murders and longer lasting trials.) Then there was a bit of a wait to head down to the jail cell areas, where they hold the various accused before and after trial. One of those places in life you are interested in seeing for the fact that you never plan on having to see yourself. It appeared to be one of this year's big attractions. Thanks to DoorsOpenHalifax for letting us see.