In Episode 14 of Ellected, Sarah talks with Lana Bentley, a registered social worker who just wrapped up an unsuccessful bid to be on Calgary city council. Lana and Sarah delve into the recent revelation of alleged sexual misconduct by a Calgary City Councillor who ran for re-election, and won by only 100 votes. They discuss the need for systemic change in politics and policing are often talked about but result in less frequent change.
Lana Bentley is a registered social worker with a bachelor's and master's degree in social work from the University of Calgary. She spent much of the early years of her career working in the area of mental health as a family and group therapist. She has taught in the post-secondary system for nearly ten years. Her passion for effecting change led her to pursue leadership positions in healthcare and human services where she worked her way up from the supervisory level to her current role as a director.
Most recently, Lana ran in the Ward 6 city council race. She came second with 9,400 votes. Over the years, Lana has been involved with housing initiatives, mentorship for young professionals, domestic violence prevention efforts, and free drop-in counselling programs. Lana is committed to ensuring our community is safe and accessible for all.
Sarah Elder-Chamanara is the founder, creative director and owner of Madame Premier, a feminist and political clothing company based in Calgary, Alberta. With the underlying principle of seeing more women and diversity in politics, elected and in backrooms, at every level, Madame Premier creates the opportunity for conversations about why politics needs to change. Madame Premier has been featured in the National Post, CBC, Forbes and Toronto Star. Sarah is currently planning on opening Madame Premier’s first retail location in summer 2021 in Calgary.
SWIM ON:
- In the last episode of Ellected, Sarah welcomed Asia Walker, the Heritage Resources and Research Coordinator for Heritage Calgary, for a deep dive into the history of women on council in Calgary – starting from the very first, Annie Gale in 1917, to the present day.
- Jody Vance: Vancouver’s steadily expanding crime rate means we should start thinking about surveillance. We already allow social media apps to track us, so why can’t high risk areas be filmed?
- Because one girl had the courage to stand up and tell her story to the police, an alleged sexual assaulter was identified.
