At Valley Family Optometry, we focus on maintaining your vision and ocular health. We’ve served the communities of the Annapolis Valley for over 65 years, providing eye care you can rely on.
We take pride in our well-rounded practice that is accessible to patients of all ages. We provide comprehensive eye exams for adults, seniors, and children that allows us to monitor your family’s visual health and provide treatment when necessary.
We genuinely believe in fostering real relationships with our patients, and we achieve that by taking the time to get to know you. When you visit Valley Family Optometry, you’re getting a personalized experience from passionate health professionals.
Our Core Values
Valley Family Optometry operates on 7 core values to provide the Annapolis Valley community with expert, personal, and professional care:
Attention
We listen so we fully understand our patient’s needs.
Compassion
We provide excellence with personal kindness.
Excellence
We are committed to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Gratitude
We understand that it is a privilege to serve our patients and appreciate their support.
Innovation
We continue to learn and implement new technology to stay at the forefront of eye care.
Integrity
We operate with integrity to earn our patients’ trust.
Knowledge
We educate our patients so they fully understand their conditions and treatment options.
Our Mission
Your experience matters to us just as much as your visual health.
Our mission is to be the most trusted, comprehensive and cutting edge in eyecare in the Annapolis Valley. We strive to create a personalized eye care experience for every patient, delivered by a caring, knowledgeable, and innovative team that is committed to your satisfaction.
Dr. Kinney graduated from Brandon University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and completed his Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 2003.
While in optometry school, Dr. Kinney completed an externship at the Barnett-Dulaney-Perkins Eye Center in Mesa, Arizona, where he gained extensive experience in cataract and laser vision correction pre-and-post-operative care, as well as general ocular disease management.
Upon graduation, Dr. Kinney began his optometry career in Fergus, Ontario. He also split his time travelling to Labrador City to help provide eye care to this underserviced northern community. In 2006, Dr. Kinney moved to the beautiful Annapolis Valley and joined the optometry clinic of Dr. Duffey in Middleton.
By 2014, they had outgrown the office space in Middleton and decided to relocate and build a new office in Kingston. Dr. Kinney looks forward to serving his patients in their new location for many years to come.
Dr. Kinney is married to Dr. Krista Flynn, and together they have two children, Melrose and Hudson. When not busy at the office or running around taking his two children between the dance studio or minor sports teams, Dr. Kinney enjoys getting out on the rink to play hockey.
Professional Development
Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO)
Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists (NSAO)
Nova Scotia College of Optometrists (NSCO)
University of Waterloo Optometric Student Society President 2001-2002
Low Vision Research Student Assistant 2001
Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists Council Member 2006-2009
Canadian Examiners in Optometry, Director 2010-2014
Canadian Board of Examiners Board Member 2010-2014
National Public Education Committee Board Member 2007-2011
Dr. Krista Flynn
Dr. Flynn was born and raised in Labrador City, NL. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Acadia University in 2001. She then continued to earn her Doctor of Optometry, with Dean’s List honours, from the University of Waterloo in 2006.
She was awarded the Central Optical Award for Excellence in Special Studies as well as the Dr. Michael Gutwein Memorial award, which is awarded by classmates to someone who actively encourages fellow students to participate in athletics and social affairs.
Upon graduation in 2006, she decided to return to the beautiful Annapolis Valley. She has spent the past several years working at various locations throughout the valley. She is very excited to now join Valley Family Optometry here in Kingston.
Dr. Flynn has a particular interest in treating dry eye patients and is currently a regional representative for a national program that is focused on dry eye therapies, management, and best practices. She is excited to be starting a dry eye clinic in our new office, where she can focus on developing comprehensive diagnostic and treatment protocols for all her dry eye patients.
Dr. Flynn is married to Dr. Brett Kinney, and together they have two children, Melrose and Hudson. Dr. Flynn is passionate about her work and her family. She is currently working part-time so that she can enjoy both.
Professional Development
Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO)
Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists (NSAO)
Nova Scotia College of Optometrists (NSCO)
Histological research in ocular irritability 2002-2006
Class Co-president, University of Waterloo 2002-2006
Member, Public Education Committee, NSAO, 2007-2009
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Dr. Lauren Morse
Dr. Morse is a local, born and raised in Middleton, NS. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Biology from St. Francis Xavier University in 2007.
After university, Dr. Morse decided to take a few years off to gain some life experiences. She moved to Seoul, South Korea, where she lived for two years teaching English as a second language to Korean high school students.
She ventured back to the valley in 2009, where she had the opportunity to work for Dr. Kinney and Dr. Duffey in their office. She had a wonderful experience and decided to pursue a career in Optometry.
She completed her Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts, with Dean’s list honours in 2014. During her training, she was fortunate to be able to get clinical experience around the United States, including Baltimore, Miami, Vermont and Boston.
Upon graduation, she returned to Canada to practice back home in the Annapolis Valley. In August 2014, she happily joined Valley Family Optometry.
Dr. Morse is married to William Spurr, a local produce farmer in Melvern Square. She is excited to have been able to come back home to practice optometry in the valley and looks forward to serving her community for many years to come.
Professional Development
Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO)
Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists (NSAO)
Nova Scotia College of Optometrists (NSCO)
Professional Activities
Beta Sigma Kappa 2010-2014
Beta Sigma Kappa is a committee offered to those in the top 10% of their class at the end of each school year. Her responsibilities as a member of this committee were to precept/tutor the students in the classes below her, helping them perfect their clinical skills.
Dr. Jenay Armstrong
Dr. Armstrong is a local, born and raised in Middleton, NS. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree at Dalhousie University in 2015. She continued to earn her Doctor of Optometry, with Dean’s List Honours, from the University of Waterloo in 2019. While in optometry school, Dr. Armstrong completed an externship at the OMNI Eye Institute of Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, where she gained extensive experience in glaucoma, cataract, and retinal health management. Dr. Armstrong is a member of the Canadian and Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists as well as the Nova Scotia College of Optometrists.
Dr. Armstrong has been part of the Valley Family Optometry family since her time as a student when she had the opportunity to work in all aspects of the clinic during the summer. She also engaged in an externship in the clinic in the fall of 2018. She is thrilled to return to the Annapolis Valley to begin her career.
In her spare time, Dr. Armstrong enjoys spending time with friends and family, as well as travelling and camping.
Dr. Trevor Waines
Dr. Waines was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. He started his education at the University of Ottawa, completing a degree in Biomedical Sciences in the year 2016 before moving on to the University of Waterloo to earn his Doctorate of Optometry in 2020; the year of the Optometrist!
During his education as an Optometry student, Dr. Waines participated in an externship in Atlanta, Georgia at OMNI Eye Institute of Atlanta. This educational facility allowed him to be involved in the workup of patients and shadowing of Ophthalmologists in the specialties of cataract removal, glaucoma management, and retinal specialty.
Upon Graduation, Dr. Waines jumped at the opportunity to help work his way through the many positions at Valley Family Optometry. Helping in the lab and pretesting departments, allowing him to better understand what this clinic has to offer for all his future patients coming through the doors.
Dr. Waines was found and introduced to the east coast by Dr. Armstrong. They are looking to start a new chapter together and explore what Nova Scotia has to offer.
When not immersing himself in all Optometry has to offer, he can be found playing a variety of board and strategy games, participating in a pick-up game of squash/hockey, or trying to train his wild new puppy, Griffin.
Professional Development:
· Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO)
· Nova Scotian College of Optometry (NSCO)
· Nova Scotian Association of Optometry (NSAO)
Zac, Optician
Danika, Optometric Assistant, CCOA
Shyanne, Patient Services
Angela, Patient Services
Andrew, Patient Services, CCOA
Kirsty, Patient Services, CCOA
Lucy, Patient Services, CCOA
Ziyoda, Patient Services, CCOA
Kim, Patient Services
Emily, Student – Patient Services
Darcee, Office Admin
Tera, Optician
Jonathan, Optical Services
Kelly, Patient Services
Why Choose Valley Family Optometry?
When you need comprehensive eye care, Valley Family Optometry is the place to go. We offer a one-stop-shop for all of your eye care needs, from dry eye therapy to fashionable frames and lenses.
At Valley Family Optometry, we provide services for the whole family – we focus on your ocular health and vision so you can focus on other things.
We have been helping the Annapolis Valley see clearly for over 6 decades, so our level of experience is second to none. We are passionate about improving your life through first-rate eye care, making it easy for you to keep living your best life.
We are a locally-owned, independent practice that truly cares about finding you a product that helps you see and feel better. We source from an extensive list of suppliers to ensure you have a variety of quality products to choose from.
We offer designer and functional eyewear for every budget, prescription and non-prescription sunglasses, common and specialty contact lenses, dry eye therapy products, and protective safety eyewear. We also have an on-site lab, allowing us to shorten the turnaround time for most eyeglasses.
