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.

Amazing place. I stayed 2 nights in August due to my husband's emergency surgery at QEII. We were…read morevisiting Halifax from the US and I was struggling to find an affordable place for our extended stay. The hosts were very kind and welcoming, providing a late-night ride from the hospital and offering delicious, healthy snacks and meals. Other guests were super friendly, and it was a nice break to be with others to enjoy a meal when one is so far from home. At the same time, a guest can enjoy as much privacy as needed. An added bonus - the home is within walking distance to QEII, which is about 1 mile away. I highly recommend.

Anyone who's heading to Halifax for medical appointments, or if they have a loved one in Halifax…read moreundergoing medical treatment are welcome to stay. I had an opportunity to stay there back in April after my husband suffered a heart attack, but he only stayed overnight at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. I told the person there, to give the bed that was saved for me, to someone else who'd need it more.

Excellent daycare. The staff are attentive and nurturing, and my child looks forward to each day…read more Communication with parents is great, and the environment feels safe and welcoming.

As a parent I am an observer and keep myself attentive during the drop off and pick up time and…read morechanges my time of pickup to find whats happening behind the closed doors. You don't want to leave your children where they isolate crying and terrified children and shout at them to sit at one place. You are leaving the most precious part of your life to them and they would make sure to scar them for life. The teacher are so overwhelmed with work that they behave frustrated with children. I have encountered teachers shouting and leaving the classrooms with children alone( I wont believe anyone but I have seen it through my own eyes and heard teachers shouting) complained about it and feedback taken poorly owner saying it might be parents shouting when there were no parents inside when I arrived late to drop off my child. Can't believe my own eyes and ears.I am not sure on what basis government are providing them licenses to play with the little ones life. If I had the time to take them for a ride I would have strongly revolted their practices and complaint to the authority to close all the locations. Disheartened and frightened for the little ones lives. Complaint has been registered but as a parent I should inform you all. It is just not me there are other parents with same concern. Additionally, teachers are frequently engaged in cleaning tasks during critical playtime, which is essential for a child's development. This diversion of attention may limit meaningful interactions that foster growth and learning. There are significant concerns regarding the current practices at this daycare that could impact the well-being of children and the experiences of parents in the future. Reports of teachers raising their voices at children have been noted, suggesting a potential pattern that may continue. Parent feedback appears to be inadequately addressed by management, which could cultivate a growing frustration among families.

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.

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.

Whether you're thinking about volunteering your time, or making a food or monetary donation, please…read moreconsider Feed Nova Scotia. The non-for-profit organization located on the Bedford Highway helps to distribute food to 38,000 people every month. The organization receives food donations from grocers, suppliers and individuals and then transports the food to one of it's 150 food-agencies (e.g. churches, shelters, soup-kitchens, etc.) where the food is then distributed to people in need. It is truly a very worthwhile cause!

I've run a food drive at work for the past 2 holiday season, this one being my third…read more The folks at FEED NOVA SCOTIA have always been great with helping organize and answer questions. If you haven't already you should seriously consider helping them out! Every little bit counts. FEED NOVA SCOTIA collects all food donations and distributes them so people in our communities will have food on the table. There is no such thing as too small donation. They will make sure all donations get stretched as far as possible. If monetary is more your speed they can do that too. While everyone is in the spirit of giving this time of year, please consider helping them out throughout the rest of the year as well. This really is a worthwhile cause. Please give.

Margaret's House is a picturesque house sitting at the corner of Wentworth and Ochterloney across…read morefrom Two if By Sea. At first look, you wouldn't know what it is. But I've lived nearby long enough to appreciate their amazing work in the community. Quite simply, they give people a decent meal. That is a fantastic fact when you realize they've been around for over 20 years. I've had friends who have volunteered here and everyone's been quite impressed with their experience. It's easy to assume that the only people who need help getting a decent meal are the very poor. But that belies the fact that there are many 'working poor' who can just barely afford to survive. I'm glad to see the House has been getting some renovations and improvements lately; a new courtyard and improved accessibility. Thanks for all your hard work to the volunteers.

I eat here daily and it is impossible to express how much I appreciate the place and people. The…read moremeals are really excellent! (it is way better than some places across the Harbour, although they DO have good soup). Not only that but the people ,staff and clients, are wonderful too. I think we are a family-yep a FAMILY is what we are. Thank God for people who care AND act on it! G

Had a great time here with my son. Saw Hope as soon as we got there. It's great to see a place like…read morethis that rescues, rehabilitates and release wildlife when possible. The next time I visit the east coast, I'll visit again.

Hope for wildlife is a fantastic organization. As their name implies, they are a group of dedicated…read moreprofessionals helping injured or abandoned animals get back to health so they can be released back to the wild. We visited this location during their open house. Once a year the organization opens their doors to the public allowing you to walk around and see all the animals they are caring for. Any admission you need to pay goes directly back into helping these creatures - big and small. Wondering how long to spend here? Plan on spending about 3 hours wandering the grounds. You will also need to plan parking as the area fills up fast (thousands of people show up to this tiny town) so you will likely need to give yourself an extra 15-30 minutes to find parking and walk to the location. Pop into the buildings including the hospital and raccoon nursery for some added feel-good experiences. For additional information about this location, including a video, be sure to check out our website at www.joshthetravelguy.ca

This daycare has changed my child's life !!! The staff are…read moreamazing they are so good with my child . My son looks forward to going unlike his last daycare when he would cry when he got there to now jumping with excitement . They have always been very pleasant and inclusive with my son who is on the autism spectrum. I cannot express how much I appreciate this daycare for the love and acceptance he has received I highly recommend this daycare I would give more then five stars if I could. Thanks for listening.

This daycare has been a dream. They have made my child feel like family. The daycare is incredibly…read moreclean, bright, new and open. There is a very cool play area for the kids behind the building in which my daughter calls the "wooded area" where they have part of the woods fenced off so the kids can play in there and still be safe. My daughter has learned so much thanks to the program they run and also how great the teachers are. The owner is a great caring person and is loved by all of the children. This is an around great place for children and I would recommend it in a heart beat.