Overall, for graduate studies, I would say that the university is very strong. I know my department (which is sadly outside of the sciences, so likely not very helpful for you) is very strong, and a friend's husband used to work in Anatomy as a professor and said that it was a good place to work from his perspective.
The city is small, but it thinks it's big. There is pretty good nightlife, though it's still not much. The weather is much milder than the rest of Canada because of the ocean, and the actual countryside etc. is stunning. Overall it's an alright place to live, some people love it to the point where they never want to leave again, others find it too small.