He graduated from Pelham Secondary School in 1973 and attended the University of Waterloo before transferring to the journalism department at Conestoga College.
[1] Shoalts stated he did not take his education seriously until after his first year at the University of Waterloo, when he decided he wanted to pursue journalism as a career.
[3] After graduating from Conestoga College, Shoalts earned an internship at The Kitchener-Waterloo Record,[1] where he covered the Canadian Football League (CFL).
[5] In 1984, Shoalts was hired by The Globe and Mail to work on page layout and design, although he eventually earned a writing position.
[7] In 2009, Shoalts and journalist Paul Waldie won the Outstanding Sportswriting Award from Sports Media Canada for their coverage of the Phoenix Coyotes.