Things To Do in Nova Scotia

During Reel Babies movie showings, theatres transform into child-friendly arenas where new parents can enjoy recent releases while tending to tykes. Empire Theatres keeps the auditorium lights dim and lowers the volume on new films such as Our Idiot Brother, One Day, and The Debt, ensuring an environment conducive to child-care. Parents can transport their mini-me to the auditorium's "exersaucer", baby swing, and play mat, allowing young minds to expend energy otherwise spent solving Fermat's Last Theorem. Additionally, a changing table and bottle warmer ensures parents can remain in the theatre for all reunion scenes between protagonists and their coffee makers.

Fundy Tidal Bore Adventures founder Morgan McDonald is a passionate rafter with a decade of experience navigating the Shubenacadie River, whose shores are made of clay and dotted with trees. The high and low tides here mean that there are varying degrees of wave intensity, and the company's experienced guides can tailor the experience to suit each group’s comfort level. Before the trip, guides will help passengers suit up in PFDs and store their valuables in waterproof bags. The crewmember can snap pictures of the trip along the way; they’ll then email the photos to you later or stuff them into a bottle and float them to postal workers wearing waterskis.

The course at Harbour Ridge Golf Club blazes a winding path among numerous water hazards, opening out onto greens with sweeping views of the harbour below. As the slate-blue water ruffles in the wind, players work their ways across two par 3 holes, six par 4 holes, and a hole that can be played as a par 5 or a par 4 depending on the chosen set of tees. A clubhouse perches on a small hillock, overlooking the evergreen trees that line the fairways and distract lumberjacks from continually asking about the rules of golf.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par-34 course
• Total length of 2,301 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 31.6 from the back tees
• Course slope of 101 from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole

Cole Harbour Place—the home of hockey player Sidney Crosby—welcomes community members into a complex that hosts three pools, two regulation-size ice arenas, squash courts, and a weight-training centre and cardio room with more than 21 new pieces of equipment. The sprawling facility invites swimmers to splash during open sessions or learn how to greet a passing octopus properly during swim lessons; fitness classes get hearts pumping in boot camp and core yoga. A wealth of youth programming entertains whippersnappers throughout the year, and the wellness centre’s health classes and programs impart preventive-health advice to members of all ages.

• For $12, you get one admission to a two-hour whale-watch tour (a $28.75 value, including HST). • For $40, you get a family pass for a two-hour whale-watch tour for two adults and two children ages 6–16 (an $85.10 value, including HST).