In recognition of International Women's Day on March 8, the Airdrie City View is profiling three women in local leadership positions. The third profile is on Airdrie City Coun. Heather Spearman.
A relative newcomer to municipal politics, Airdrie City councillor Heather Spearman said since taking office in 2021, she has been faced with various challenges of the role, serving alongside her fellow female council members.
She said despite the hurdles of her position, she really loves the job and aims to serve as a voice for women and minorities in municipal politics.
“I really love all of it. I love the challenges, having to think outside the box, problem-solving, but I really love being a part of the community,” she shared in an interview with Airdrie City View.
She said her favourite part of being a councillor is serving as a spokesperson and advocate for women in the community, and meeting with community members to discuss their hopes and dreams.
“That’s the stuff that I secretly love the most,” she confessed.
Just recently, Spearman completed a four-month stint as council's deputy mayor, which comes with added responsibilities. She confessed that balancing her schedule was a bit of a “learning curve.”
“It was such an honour, but it’s also not much different than being a councillor, really,” she shared.
Though she prides herself on maintaining a stiff upper lip, there have been times when being in the public eye brought with it some unique challenges and concerns about personal safety.
“I like to think I'm pretty fearless in a lot of ways, [except] when it comes to my safety and the safety of my family,” she shared. “That’s the biggest thing. Everything else is manageable.”
She said she has in the past received emails and phone calls that were “less than friendly,” alongside a few other moments that have brought with them some trepidation.
“It’s never comfortable knowing that people that don’t agree with you know where you live,” she said.
“It’s tough because as a mom, you want to bring your kids to everything and let them be a part of things, but there are times where I need to leave them at home because I’m not sure what the turnout is going to be... you just have to be conscientious.”
But she said at the end of the day, and despite the challenges of public office, having a voice at the table makes it all worthwhile.
The councillor said serving in the role means she can help other people to also get a seat at the table and have their voices heard.
“I feel like being elected is just a stepping stone to other people being elected as well in terms of more minorities or people that are gender diverse,” she said. “That’s what it means to me... giving more people the chance to have their voices heard.”
She said having women in leadership roles helps to bring a “special flavour” to the mix of municipal politics. Currently, City council has three female councillors, including Spearman, Coun. Tina Petrow, and Coun. Candice Kolson.
“Having women on council is critical, not just for equal representation, but it’s also important to have the qualities that women bring to the table,” she said.
“A lot of people think being compassionate and empathetic, or tender and emotional is a weakness, but I have seen so many women in leadership use those things to the advantage of decision-making and as a strength to really elevate other people.”
Spearman said moving forward that she hopes to see at least half of council representation being women.
“I’d like to see a lot more gender diversity in terms of representation as a whole – a lot more minorities at the table as well,” she remarked.
“We have so many different backgrounds and cultures here. We still have a way to go, but I think that’s where we’re going to be – [becoming] a beautiful, eclectic, and attractive place for businesses to invest and for people to want to live.”
In closing, Spearman said she wanted to emphasize that politics is a place that is welcome to everyone no matter your identity, ethnicity, or background.
“It’s for women, moms, grandmothers, it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you’re 16 or 96, there’s a spot for everybody and there’s a place for everybody [at the table],” she said.
