Ali Howat, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
From teaching skiing on the weekends growing up, to travelling around the world as a young adult, Erin Shore’s life has been one crazy adventure.
Shore was born in Jasper in December 1976 into what she describes as her “big fun family.”
“I couldn’t have gotten a better family if I tried,” Shore said.
Shore has three siblings from her mom and dad, along with one step-sister. As well, her family adopted her best friend in elementary school.
Shore loved growing up in Jasper.
“Jasper, it’s just incredible. It’s like a big playground to grow up in”
Growing up, Shore loved playing volleyball and teaching skiing.
“Skiing has always been my freedom. Feels like you’re flying.”
Shore taught skiing on the weekends up until graduation when she taught full time for one winter.
After graduation, Shore ended up travelling to Costa Rica for three months. Shore, like most of us, had no idea what she wanted to do after graduation but knew she really wanted to learn how to surf.
“I was really broke and I was like, ‘How do I learn how to surf and how do I barter?’”
The locals in Costa Rica ended up teaching Shore how to massage so she could earn money to learn surfing.
“I started off working on the shoulders, and they told me I wasn’t half bad at it and maybe I should go to school.”
After learning her newfound skill, Shore ended up coming back to Canada and going off to school for massage therapy in Calgary.
Upon finishing her schooling in Calgary, Shore went home to Jasper and opened a practice for a few years.
Shore then figured it was time to get out and see the world.
Shore left Jasper and went to live in Victoria, B.C., for about five years, but living in Victoria didn’t quite itch her travel bug.
So, from there, Shore went to travel and live in the Cayman Islands for eight years.
“It was so beautiful. It was like, wow, like a postcard.”
While living in the Cayman Islands, Shore worked at a high-end resort, The Ritz-Carlton.
“Every spa I have worked at has given me something, but working at the Ritz, those were some of the best days of my life.”
Eventually, Shore ended up making her way back to Jasper to help house sit for her parents while they went on vacation as well as helping out her old bud Kevin Lazzari by running Video Stop, the video store he owns, so he could also head out on vacation.
Coming back home to Jasper to help her family and her friends gave her an experience she had been missing during those years of travel.
“It was like Jasper gave me a huge hug,” Shore said.
“The people who came into the video store were so sincerely like, ‘Oh, my god. You’re back. It’s so good to see you.’”
It was in that moment that Shore decided that, after all her years of travel, it was time to move back home.
Upon returning, Shore went to work for Peter Boyne at the Jasper Chiropractic and Body Care Centre as well as worked at Spa jasper, located at the Sawridge Inn.
Throughout her years working at Spa Jasper, Shore kept a very close eye on the spa, and eventually came to a decision that the spa was the dream, the one she had been looking for throughout those years of travel. Shore wanted Spa Jasper to be her own.
“I want to buy this. I want this to be mine,” she said.
“So, I just made them an offer and they took it.”
Now, with the help of her spa family, Shore runs a full service, minus hair, at the Sawridge Inn and couldn’t be more grateful for being able to own this spa.
Shore said that she was proud to be from Jasper and believed that this town moulded her into the person she had become and wanted to extend her gratitude to her family and this town.
“I’m just so happy,” she said.
“I never thought I’d end up this lucky, this fortunate to be in my home town that I adore, surrounded by such a beautiful community.”
