MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Winter 2020

61 HISTORY words :: Kristin Schnelten Surrounded by towering stacks of new gear and nursing their first coffees of the morning, the staff and owners of Squire John’s cram into the boot pit for this year’s pre-season meeting and pep talk. Afterward, everyone spills onto the parking lot for the annual egg toss, and someone lobs a cheap shot at an unsuspecting Mark Andersen. A cheer erupts after the direct hit, and Anderson, dripping with egg white, congratulates the sniper. They got him that time. It surprises no one that Andersen’s co-owners John Murray and Shane Kilfoyle whooped as loudly as the rest. This camaraderie is part of who they are—what Squire John’s is. When the shop is open, these guys are on the floor, selling skis, fitting boots, making connections. And when it’s time to party (and there’s always time to party at Squire’s), they’re just part of the crew. “Squire” John Will and Peggy Cahill-Will opened Squire’s in 1969 with a management philosophy integral to the business for five decades: Treat your employees like family, and they’ll share that same respect with your customers. Will built his business on service, and expanded with satellite shops at many of the private ski clubs. When Will passed away in 1987, Helen Kimble, by then his partner, bought the business and carried on the tradition. “Helen really built the culture. Squire definitely started it, but she was the one who kept it going and did the staff nurturing,” remembers Murray. “You have to look after your employees,” says Kimble, now a real estate agent based in Thornbury. “My whole mandate was service. These guys worked their asses off keeping customers happy. And there was always beer in the fridge for them after their shift. Always. Everyone was so loyal. Once they started at Squire’s, they stayed. Year after year, they always came back. It really was a family.” When Kimble stepped down in 1997, it was part of that Squire’s family who took the reins; of the three current owners, Murray and Kilfoyle both worked for Helen, the former having been around since Will’s tenure. SQUIRE JOHN’S AT 50 Iconic ski shop never loses sight of its deep roots Owners (L-R) Mark Andersen, John Murray and Shane Kilfoyle with staff. KRISTIN SCHNELTEN