From Eastern Ontario to the East Coast – Chiropractor Couple Launches Business in Saint John
When Dr. Rick Parisien left his small town in Eastern Ontario to attend university in Kingston, followed by chiropractic college in Toronto, he never imagined he would end up moving to Saint John, New Brunswick. Now he can’t picture living, working, and building a life anywhere else.
His move to the east coast came after meeting his fiancé Dr. Maria Boyle in chiropractic college. Maria grew up on the east side of Saint John, and while in Toronto, they decided to think about where they wanted to move after graduation.
“We made pro and cons list of all the locations we wanted to go to,” explained Rick. “One was Saint John, one was Ottawa, and the third one was Vancouver. After a year of making these lists, Saint John always came out on top.”
And although it was a big move for Rick – fast forward four years and throw in a global pandemic and there are no regrets.
Finding community in a new city can be a major contributor to feeling at home, and for Rick the people in Saint John and Maria’s family made the transition smooth.
Between work, volunteering to coach high school basketball, joining the CrossFit community, and getting involved with local rugby and football clubs, there was no lack of support.
“I tried to meet as many people as possible, and find my tribe,” Rick explained. “By the end of the first year everyone here made the move to Saint John successful and easy.”
Today Rick and Maria live in Rothesay and have just opened the doors to their brand-new clinic, Station Street Health in the uptown core. The couple are thrilled to be building their careers and life in the Saint John region.
Located next to TD Station, the pair have transformed the former bus depot into a multi-disciplinary health clinic – offering Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, and Massage therapy – with more services in the works.
Working full-time jobs while setting up their practice was no small feat, but the support from their community made it possible.
“Connecting with organizations like Envision Saint John: The Regional Growth Agency allowed us to discover other networks and resources available in the region. There is so much help out there,” Rick said.
And while working to grow a business – Rick shares how his new home provides the perfect outlet to unwind.
“The ability to enjoy the outdoors is unlike anywhere else in my opinion,” he explained. “The people are pretty amazing, everyone’s super friendly and it’s a slower pace of life.”
To learn more about what the Saint John region has to offer entrepreneurs, investors, students, and visitors visit envisionsaintjohn.com
