Canadian-living-in-the-US here. I’d check the Dalhousie Reddit (King’s doesn’t have its own subreddit but you can ask questions there). Also, check out Maclean’s:
https://macleans.ca/education/kings-college-university-foundation-year/
https://macleans.ca/education/university-of-kings-college/
https://macleans.ca/education/university-of-kings-college-411/
We went to the King’s open house last year, and it seemed like a tight-knit, artsy, quirky, supportive environment. It’s definitely a niche program. The way it works that first year is that the Foundation Year Program is the equivalent of 4 classes per semester, then you take one additional class at Dal per semester. (If you’re studying science, you take two additional classes per semester at Dal.) It’s also known for journalism. In the upper years, you can simply take all your classes at Dal, or you can also major in King’s interdisciplinary honors programs like Early Modern Studies, Contemporary Studies, or History of Science & Technology.
FYP is definitely rigorous: If you complete it and maintain a decent GPA for your remaining years, you’re “preadmitted” to U Calgary law school (not really relevant for an American, but this gives you an idea). There are papers due every 2 weeks and oral exams twice a year.