Meet John Gonzales, Founder of Rehab 1 and O'Creek Brewing in Moncton, New Brunswick
Ever meet someone and wonder how they do it all? John Gonzales is that person for me.
He is a physiotherapist, he’s the founder and CEO of Rehab 1, New Brunswick's largest privately and locally owned injury rehabilitation company with six locations across the province, he’s one of the co-founders of O'Creek Brewing, Moncton's celebrated craft brewery on Barker Street. Business manager for the Greater Moncton Area Filipino Association.
Because apparently six clinics and a brewery were not enough.
This is a Moncton story and it is one of the best ones I have ever gotten to tell.
How John Gonzales Built Rehab 1 Into New Brunswick's Largest Physiotherapy Company
John started Rehab 1 in 2016 with a single location on St. George Boulevard in Moncton. The vision was clear and bold: bring together the best rehabilitation professionals under one roof, build a culture that people genuinely wanted to be part of, and deliver care that treated the whole person rather than just the injury.
That vision worked. Rehab 1 now operates six locations across New Brunswick including Moncton, Riverview, Dieppe, Saint John, Quispamsis, and Fredericton. The team has collectively helped over 35,000 New Brunswickers with their injuries. They were the official rehabilitation centre for the Moncton Magic professional basketball team and the Moncton Mustangs. They have been recognized as 2019 Business of the Year in Riverview and as Top 3 Physical Therapists in both Moncton and Saint John.
John graduated from Dalhousie University and has spent years completing post-graduate training in active release technique, advanced manual therapy, pain science, and therapeutic exercise. He worked at the Moncton Hospital from 2006 to 2010. He has provided sport physiotherapy coverage at the World Junior Track and Field meets, National Speed Skating competitions, and the Canada Games. In 2010 he received the New Brunswick Young Leadership Award.
He is, by any measure, one of the most accomplished people in his field in Atlantic Canada.
The One Moment That Changed Everything for John Gonzales
In this episode, John talks about the moment that changed the trajectory of his business. He was at a local event (Master Mindset) and speaker Mark Black asked a question from the stage and something shifted in John that has not shifted back.
He does not describe it as a lightning bolt but instead as a door opening: a sudden clarity about what was actually possible, about how much bigger he was allowed to dream, about what Rehab 1 could become if he was willing to do what was required.
That moment led to the expansion. The second location. Then the third. Then the fourth. It led to O'Creek. It led to everything that has come after.
Listen for that part of the conversation, it is worth the whole episode.
O'Creek Brewing and What John Gonzales Is Building at 175 Barker Street in Moncton
O'Creek Brewing opened its permanent home at 175 Barker Street in Moncton in 2023. The 5,000 square foot facility features a 100-seat taproom, a large patio, retail space, an event space, and The Craft Canteen kitchen. It is one of Moncton's most exciting new gathering spaces and a genuine destination for craft beer lovers across New Brunswick.
John is one of four co-founders alongside Patrice Daigle, Greg McAfee, and Nick Spataro. He brings business and marketing experience to the partnership while Daigle mans the 15-barrel brewing system producing O'Creek's flagship Route 117 India Pale Ale alongside a growing lineup of seasonal and specialty beers.
The vision for O'Creek has always been community. Not just great beer, but a space where Moncton gathers. A taproom that feels like it belongs to the city. And from the moment it opened, that is exactly what it has become.
Inside the Meet Me in Moncton Podcast Conversation with John Gonzales
This conversation is full. We cover a lot of ground and none of it feels rushed.
We talk about the Filipino community in New Brunswick, about the families who had the courage to build a new life in this province decades ago and what they built for people like John who came after them. We talk about his role in the Greater Moncton Area Filipino Association and why staying connected to that culture matters deeply to him.
We talk about what it means to scale a business, to go from one clinic to six across a province, while keeping the culture intact. About what breaks when you grow too fast and what you have to protect deliberately.
We talk about Moncton. About why this city is the right place to build something ambitious. About what the community gives back when you invest in it honestly.
What You Will Learn from This Moncton Business Podcast Episode
How one question at a live event can completely reframe what you believe is possible for your business and your life
What it takes to scale from one clinic to six across a province while keeping culture and care at the centre
The story behind O'Creek Brewing and what it means to build community through a craft brewery taproom in Moncton
Why Moncton's Filipino community is one of the city's most remarkable and underappreciated stories
What John has learned about entrepreneurship, leadership, and building something worth being proud of
What John Gonzales Reminded Me About Dreaming Bigger in Moncton
I have known John for a long time. I knew a version of this story before we sat down to record it. And I still walked away from this conversation thinking bigger about what is possible.
That is the effect John has. Not because he is boastful about what he has built. Because he is so clear about the fact that none of it was inevitable. That it started with a decision. That the someday dream became the actual plan because he decided it was going to.
Moncton needs more people willing to make that decision and it needs people like John willing to talk about what making it actually looks like.
About John Gonzales, Founder of Rehab 1 Performance Centers and Co-Founder of O'Creek Brewing in Moncton New Brunswick
John Gonzales is a physiotherapist, founder and CEO of Rehab 1 Performance Centers, and co-founder of O'Creek Brewing in Moncton, New Brunswick. Rehab 1 is New Brunswick's largest privately and locally owned injury rehabilitation company with six locations across the province and over 35,000 clients served. John is a UNB alumnus, a 2010 New Brunswick Young Leadership Award recipient and business manager for the Greater Moncton Area Filipino Association.
Follow John on Instagram: @johnnygphysio Follow Rehab 1: @rehanoneperformancenb Follow O'Creek Brewing: @o.creek.brewing Visit: rehab1.ca and ocreekbrewing.com
Meet Me in Moncton is hosted by Natalie Davison, team lead at Meet Me in Moncton Real Estate and a REALTOR® with 21 years of experience. New episodes are available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
