Women in Motion
Linda Sloan
She doesn’t have x-ray vision, and can’t leap buildings in a single bound (yet, – though she does work out regularly), so by the standards of the Webster’s dictionary, Linda Sloan can’t officially be classified as a superhero. That said, by societal standards she sure should be. How else would you describe someone that balances her family life with the hectic schedule of council, while working towards making lasting changes in other’s lives as well as her own? While most people struggle to keep balance between their full time job and family commitments, Sloan keeps her own family involved in sports, academics, activities, and the community, while likewise caring for her extended “family” of approximately a million Edmontonians.
Keeping the people of our city at the heart of every government decision comes naturally to Sloan. Hers is a voice of compassion. Prior to her political debut, Sloan worked as a registered nurse, first in surgery on the burn unit, then as an emergency nurse, and later in a hospice. In the 90’s she led the Staff Nurse Association of Alberta, and has been awarded dozens of accolades by the nursing profession, both nationally, and provincially for her work on behalf of the profession, as well as the public.
With sixteen years of nursing under her belt, Linda decided that it was time to make a change. She acknowledged that the $960 million in cutbacks that were made to the health care system between 1993 and 1997, the gradual deterioration of patient care, the loss of health and wellness programs; were injustices that she could no longer accept. And so, motivated to make changes that would give positive impact to Albertans’ lives, Linda ran for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 2007. She was elected and served our province until 2001.
Fast forward to October of 2004, as Linda reached another milestone when she was elected to sit alongside Mayor Mandel on city council as the city councilor for Ward 1. Their ability to work together to recognize positive change is part of what has given our present city council the reputation of being the best that we have had to date. Never before has our city received so much recognition for being a leader, environmentally, economically and developmentally.
Linda skillfully balances the hectic schedule that comes with her career, and credits her fitness program for giving her the energy to keep up with all of the demands of her work and home life. And though her list of supporters has continued to grow, Linda remains humble, honored to be one of the thirteen people entrusted to act as a steward for our city.
What events, if any, have helped to shape you?
I was raised on a working farm in rural Ontario; we had beef cattle, grain, corn, ducks chickens, the whole bit. Though my childhood was rich in many ways, there is a history of divorce and alcoholism in my upbringing. Certainly, it leaves a mark, but as I turned 40, I learned to identify the insecurities that had stemmed from my past, and made it a priority to work on those things.
Recognizing these areas of insecurity encouraged me to make the commitment to bettering myself, and prevent me from letting any of the negative aspects of my upbringing define my life journey, giving me the strength and clarity to reach accomplishments that I had never dreamed possible.
What are some of the challenges that you face in your job?
I would say that the combination of schedule of council meetings, the workload of council. I didn’t have a good appreciation of how much work it takes to run a city, and because our economy is so heated, the workload is even higher than when I first got into politics. The volume of reading is a huge aspect, the majority of that happens on evenings and weekends. I would equate it to running a business, everything is a new challenge, and the schedule is most definitely not 9-5.
What drives you to achieve your goals?
My mother passed away from breast cancer in her early 50s. At the time I was 32 years old. That event changed me; it made me realize how precious life is, and how valuable time spent on personal growth and development is – challenging yourself, setting goals, on achieving them – you never know when you won’t have your health.
How has your family life changed for you after becoming a city councilor?
Now my kids are older (Linda has a sixteen year old daughter and a fourteen year old son), my children are truly helpful; my husband Dave is a loyal supporter, and when I was elected both provincially, and now municipally, he is there to do what needs to be done. I could never have accomplished any of this without their support.
How do you maintain balance with such a hectic schedule?
I exercise. Fitness gives me a greater sense of balance. With Defining Eve’s help, I have been able to finally make my own health and fitness a priority. Your trainers have such expertise; I have seen so much progress. Exercise has become a fundamental part of my existence and this is an accomplishment that I know I will continue to benefit from until my senior years.
What kinds of changes have you seen since beginning your functional training program?
I played women’s soccer for the last 6 years, and could just feel that my endurance, strength and cardio was not there. I wanted to be able to play with the intensity and strength that I used to play with and so I decided to pursue personal training.
When you are young your body, your anatomy is younger, but as you get older, things change and you really need to put in the work necessary to get the results that you want.
I have belonged to fitness clubs since my 20’s, but have never experienced anything like this. At Defining Eve you are being trained but your also being taught at the same time, learning about things like the different dimensions of core strength. I feel now that I am physically in the best shape that I have ever been in.
Where do you go from here?
I plan to run in the next election this upcoming October. I have an ongoing and continued vision of where I would like to see Edmonton go in the next ten years, and look forward to continuing the momentum that our current council has created. Concurrently, there are life goals that I want to achieve together with my family, as well a personal goal of always fostering my own development; mentally, physically, and spiritually.
