Hannah Fergusson Photography
For this months Meet the Member feature, we’re thrilled to be featuring a talented photographer
Shannon Paul is from a small farming town in Ontario, Ridgetown. She graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston & Chiropractic College in Toronto. She came to Whistler in 2000 and fell in love with Pemberton.
Pemberton Valley Wellness was created in 2008 and has been in business for 14 years. It was Shannon’s dream to create a multi-disciplinary wellness office that could provide quality, patient-centred, collaborative care. Pemberton Valley Wellness provides a healing experience through the holistic blend of Chiropractic, Registered Massage Therapy, Physiotherapy, Audiology/Hearing Care and Counselling. Let’s meet Dr. Shannon Paul.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
My greatest joy is that I am Mom to my amazing nine-year-old daughter, Dog Mom to a two-year-old Chocolate Lab and presently a Home-stay Mom to a 15-year-old student from Shanghai. I have been Dr. Shannon, the Chiropractor for 26 years and have lived in Pemberton/Whistler for over 22 years. I am originally from a small farming town in Ontario called Ridgetown — similar to Pemberton without the mountains. I am an alumni of Queen’s University in Kingston and attended Chiropractic College in Toronto. I came to Whistler to work with my friend Dr. Peter Drysdale in 2000 and fell in love with Pemberton. It had the warm, small town feel similar to where I grew up. I knew I could be really happy here. The sweet smell of Spring every year reminds of the day I decided to move to Pemberton. I love that I can live right in the mountains with the trails just outside my door. I love to ski, and I really love to be on the trails mountain biking, hiking or running. I enjoy camping and paddle boarding on all our beautiful lakes — especially Gates and Birkenhead. I really love a day at the lake with my friends and family. When not outside, I love music and watching my daughter dance and create!
Why did you decide to be a business owner and start Pemberton Valley Wellness?
After working as an associate in a few clinics in Ontario, Calgary, Whistler and Pemberton, I felt like I wanted to take the leap and own my own office. Pemberton Valley Wellness was created in 2008 after living here for 7 years. It was always a dream and intention of mine to create a multidisciplinary wellness office that could provide quality, patient centred, collaborative care. I love working with other health care providers, learning from each other and really giving our patients a well-rounded healing experience. I have been blessed to work with so many talented health-care providers in my 26 years. I am proud to say that Pemberton Valley Wellness celebrated 14 years in business in November of 2022.
What is the biggest challenge to operating your business?
There are so many challenges these days as small business owners; running a business and a practice is financially hard. I think the biggest challenge is trying to balance being the health provider and the business owner. I would love to just adjust patients all day and not have to deal with the paperwork and the billing.
What is the greatest reward?
The reward is the big smiles, the dances, the hugs, and the many forms of gratitude that we get to experience when we help someone in our community. It is so amazing when we know that someone is having a better day, a better sleep, a play with their grandchild on the grass, a fitness goal, a headache-free workday, a PB in a race, a smooth birth, or a pain-free walk around the lake. It is a gift and privilege to be able to connect and be a part of someone’s wellness journey-whatever that may look like for them. My reward, personally, is being surrounded by my patients from Pemberton, Whistler, D’Arcy, Birken, Lil’wat, N’Quatqua, and Xaxl’ip Nations for 22 years. I feel like I am part of a big extended family that holds space for me and supports me.
What would you like people to know about Pemberton Valley Wellness?
I would love people in our community to know that our fun team at PVW offers care for the whole family. We provide a holistic blend of Chiropractic care, Registered Massage Therapy, Physiotherapy, Audiology/Hearing Health, and Mental Health Counselling. I love providing Chiropractic care for infants and children. Children bring such joy to the office and remind us to laugh and play more. They are all my kids. I love watching them grow from tiny infants to adulthood!
Our office is full of Moms coming for prenatal care and pelvic floor physio. People of all ages are getting their ears tested by Dr. Ramia and enjoying new hearing aids.
Our RMT- Stephanie takes great care of her patients using a combination of soft tissue techniques which leaves them feeling balanced, pain-free and relaxed.
IMS by our Physio Lindsay is helping all those knee, shoulder and back injuries.
Our counsellor Heather provides connection and emotional care founded in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
Our team is rounded up by our admin staff – Sharyl working from home and our high school student Jasmine.
Our team’s mission is to help our community discover the full potential that comes from achieving great health and taking care of yourself. We continue to have those conversations about long-term health goals and the shift from band-aid care to wellness care is happening! We want people to be able to enjoy the things they love for many years. Lastly, we always strive to maintain a healing and inclusive environment that helps to empower our patients. Our patients are like our family.
Our motto: BE WELL FOR LIFE!
Photos: Anastasia Chomlack
For this months Meet the Member feature, we’re thrilled to be featuring a talented photographer
This month for our Meet the Member feature, we’re excited to be featuring a local,
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