SERVING
THE HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA METRO AREA

McKenna's Registration, and contact number for any questions about the course, or about the in-car driving instruction.

434-7651

(no e-mail service)

William H. (Bill) White, M Ed
Certified Driving Instructor

    billdrivered AT gmail.com               471-6941 cell or 864-4005 landline

PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME REGARDING ENROLLING IN MCKENNA'S DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM, OR ABOUT YOUR IN-CAR DRIVING APPOINTMENTS.  PLEASE USE THE CONTACT NUMBER AT THE LEFT.

Please note that I do not constantly check this e-mail account and I do not text!   If you call my cell and I do not answer, you can leave a message but the best thing to do is then call my home number.   On the whole I must admit I am not the easiest person to get in contact with immediately as it is a little hit and miss.

This is NOT an official website for McKenna's (there isn't one!); however I am placing this information here on my own website just to spread the word, as I am one of McKenna's instructors.  Any information posted here and pertaining to McKenna's must be taken as unofficial.   Please call the office number (above) for definitive information.

FOR CURRENT STUDENTS: WHEN CALLING THE OFFICE OR YOUR IN-CAR INSTRUCTOR AND LEAVING A MESSAGE BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND PHONE NUMBER!!!

McKenna's Defensive Driving is owned and operated by Ron McKenna and his family.  While it is based in Dartmouth, it also serves the metro Halifax area in general.  Classroom sessions are held in Dartmouth.  McKenna's offers a fully recognized driver education program consisting of 25 hours in the classroom and 10 hours in-car. 

Completion of the McKenna's program will result in a reduction in insurance rates (depending on insurance company, and on individual family circumstances).   It also allows easy transition at the end of two years of driving from the novice (N) stage, to the experienced licence.  The minimum waiting time between obtaining the beginner's licence and taking the road test is reduced from six months to three months.

McKenna's in-car program follows all provincial guidelines and in fully-approved vehicles with friendly certified instructors.   Training will include suburban, urban and freeway driving, with a thorough preparation for the Registry of Motor Vehicles road test.

The 25-hour classroom program covers all provincially required topics, plus more.   Instruction is pleasant but very thorough, and students are expected to attend all sessions. Unlike most driving schools that teach the classroom phase in three day-long Saturday and/or Sunday sessions, McKenna's divides the program into seven shorter classes with almost all or most classes held on weekday evenings (Some monthly programs include one Saturday morning class).    These classes are held at the Quality Inn Halifax-Dartmouth on Prince Albert Road in Dartmouth, near the Superstore.   A current schedule of classes for the upcoming months appears below.

Driving lessons generally follow after the classroom program is completed.   In-car lessons are in most cases spread over two to three months to accommodate the minimum 3-month waiting period between acquisition of the learner's licence and doing the road test.   Students who have already completed the waiting period might do the in-car lessons more quickly, but all students should realize that driving lessons are intended to be partnered with driving experience over time at home in the family car.

For full details on terms, conditions, timeline and methodology contact the McKenna's office: 434-7651

ATTENDANCE POLICY:  The province of Nova Scotia requires that students attend the 25 hour program, and we adhere to this policy closely.   If you begin late or otherwise miss classes you must make up that time in a future month.   Some leeway may be given for extenuating circumstances which must be cleared with the office, but this is not like high school or university where substantial periods of time may be missed.

CLASSROOM SCHEDULE

Most months program is presented in 7 weekday evenings with classes from 6 to 9:35 (totalling the required 25 hours).   Occasionally one of the classes will be on a Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM.   Unless there are very unusual circumstances, classes are held in the Quality Inn Micmac (AKA Quality Inn Halifax-Dartmouth) off Prince Albert Rd, near the Braemar Superstore.    If you are uncertain if a class is cancelled due to weather, you can check with the hotel desk at 469-5850, but if you have left a valid phone number with our office you will be called direct to be told of cancellations.

The following dates must be considered to be tentative.  While those for coming up soon are likely very accurate, all prospective students, or those having to return for make-up classes MUST call the office to confirm the dates.    Dates listed for sessions several months away will be more tentative in nature, as there may be adjustments needed for conflicting events at the hotel or for instructor vacation time.

McKENNA’S DEFENSIVE DRIVING CLASSROOM SCHEDULE
2012
  This schedule is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, such as instructor illness   Check with Glenna at 434-7651 for any changes that may not have been posted here.

I have been a driving instructor since 1975.   Currently I am teaching the classroom component of the NS driver education curriculum for McKenna's Defensive Driving, whose information appears at the left.  I am NOT teaching the in-car phase.

I have recently retired from my education career but up until June 2011 I had been commuting daily between Lower Sackville and Sheet Harbour, a 250 km round trip!  I actually enjoyed that drive, even in the winter's darkness and treacherous roads.   As I say to my driver ed classes I actually like driving!   You can read more about my driving experiences farther down this page.

As a professional educator I take the classroom phase very seriously, and ensure that the complete required curriculum is covered, as well as other aspects added in.   You will not find any fillers or time wasting aspects in my classes.   In fact I find that the 25 hours is not long enough!  Others in the industry can be heard to say that 25 hours is too much but not me!  My classes are not highly entertaining light fluff, though they have their moments of fun, and we all must commit to pleasant informative sessions.  I believe strongly that driver education should consist of a strong classroom phase followed by professional friendly and competent in-car instruction, coupled with honing new skills and habits at home.

You should contact me if you have detailed questions about the classroom phase prior to registering, or, once you are a student in the class you may contact me re absences, or dates for make-up classes, or in the event that you have home assignments to complete.  Otherwise, for any questions or discussions regarding McKenna's you should call the office.  This includes anything to do with registering and payment of fees, and for the definitive word on the class schedule.   Once you begin driving, you will also be in contact with your in-car instructor.   I have nothing to do with your in-car appointments!

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As mentioned above I do enjoy driving, and while I am not on par with professional truckers who put in millions of kilometres of driving, my driving background is extensive.  I have not driven on other continents, but I sure have seen a lot of North America.     My long-distance driving began when I joined the Canadian Armed Forces in the early 70's.   I grew up in BC and after basic training out there, I drove across much of the country to French language training in Quebec.   That was with a friend, but on the drive back in the dead of winter I drove by myself and even that was very enjoyable despite some mechanical difficulties.   Later when I was posted to Halifax as a new naval officer, I drove alone again across the continent in the winter, and made sure I took in areas I had not seen before.    I settled in Halifax and when I left the navy and entered teaching and had a growing family, our travels focused on driving to visit my parents in BC.    Up to now I have been across by car about 7 times, and each time the route has varied at least to some extent.  Since my parents' passing our travels have concentrated more on the the southeast of the USA, with more recent trips to Florida and in 2010 to New Orleans.    The most concentrated trip was in August 2009 when we went 18,000 km in one month!    Some would look at that and say Why?   All I can say is that we have seen a lot of country and have enjoyed it all, and hopefully more to come.   I am anxious to drive in Hawaii, Alaska and Newfoundland to complete my states and provinces! Here is a map of my driving past, current in late 2010.  I like driving and I want all my students to have a wonderful driving life in the years to come.

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Some materials lent during the in-class phase may be marked "Drive-Well Academy" which is the registered name for my driver education activities.  At one time I had planned to open my own driving school in the Sackville area but today it is highly unlikely that will come to pass.

Bill professional bio:

1966 to 1970:  BA from U of Victoria (Geography)
1971-73:  Trained as Bridge Watch Keeper and Communications/Electronic Warfare Officer in Canadian Navy
1973-1974:  BEd from Saint Mary's
1974 to 1983:  Geography teacher in a local high school
1975: Certified as a driving instructor
1975 to 1997 approx:  part-time high school driving instructor
1983 to 2011: Guidance counsellor in local high schools
1982 to 1986:  MEd from Acadia University
1993-97: Full and part-time Career Counsellor at Dalhousie University
2002 to present:  Part-time driving instructor for McKenna's Defensive Driving