About BraveHeart First Aid

Yarmouth born. Valley based. Teaching across Nova Scotia.

BraveHeart First Aid delivers practical first aid training for workplaces, community groups, families, and individuals across the province. We teach in a way that helps people leave more ready, more capable, and a little braver than they came in.

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BraveHeart First Aid was built in Nova Scotia.

The business started in Yarmouth, is based in the Valley, and teaches across the province. We know the communities we serve, and we believe training should feel local, personal, and dependable.

Leadership

Nancy O’Halloran

Founder

BraveHeart began with Nancy’s belief that people are often more capable than they realize when they are given the right support and the right environment to learn.

From the beginning, the goal was never just to teach skills. It was to help people feel steady enough to use them.

That belief still shapes BraveHeart today.

Stefanie Castson

Co-Owner & Director of Training

Stefanie leads training at BraveHeart with a rare mix of clinical precision, calm instruction, and practical care for the learner experience.

A Swiss-licensed physiotherapist with more than 20 years of experience, she teaches with a focus on understanding, retention, and helping people leave with skills they can actually use.

Eli Castson

Co-Owner & CEO

Eli leads the operational side of BraveHeart, overseeing the systems, communication, and execution that support the business day to day.

His focus is simple: build a business that feels clear, dependable, and well run from start to finish.

Lindsy Lacey

Mental Health First Aid Facilitator & First Aid Instructor

Lindsey brings a calm, practical, and respectful approach to training, shaped by her background in nursing and specialized experience in mental health and addictions.

She helps people approach difficult situations with clarity, care, and confidence. She is also a death doula, a role that reflects the same steadiness and compassion she brings to her work.

Megan Balcom

Senior Coordinator

Megan supports the coordination and communication that keep BraveHeart running well from day to day.

She also has a welding ticket, which is not technically part of the job, but does feel relevant somehow.

How we teach

First aid is learned in a classroom, but it is used in real life.

That is why our training is practical, hands-on, and designed to stick.

We focus on clear instruction, real practice, and helping people understand not just the steps, but how to stay steady enough to use them.

The goal is not to rush people through a course.

The goal is to make the learning last.

Canadian Red Cross Courses

Most of the training we offer is through official Canadian Red Cross courses.

For those courses, more than 20% of your fee supports Canadian Red Cross work in communities across Canada, including here in Nova Scotia.

That means your training is backed by recognized standards and also contributes to a wider network of care and response.

Our Name and Logo

Our logo holds more than one meaning.

Some people see four hearts. Others see a cross. Look again, and another shape appears—something held, protected, carried forward.

The four hearts reflect the values at the centre of our work: courage, care, clarity, and commitment. The cross speaks to help, connection, and responsibility to one another.

The name BraveHeart draws from the story of Robert the Bruce, whose heart was carried onward after his death by those loyal to him. Whether understood as history or legend, the meaning still carries: loyalty, courage, and carrying something important forward.

That is what the name means to us. Not fearlessness. Not performance.

 But steadiness, care, and the willingness to help when someone needs it.