Steve was born in Oakville, Ontario, on February 15, 1963, the youngest of 4 boys. His late mother, Alice Sloan (nee Armstrong) received her Bachelor of Arts at University of Toronto and his father, Douglas Sloan, graduated from Victoria College at U. of T. and completed his formal education at Emmanuel College with a Bachelor of Divinity. For 40 years, Steve’s father served as a Minister in several communities across Ontario, and he recently celebrated 60 years of ordination with the United Church of Canada.
Through most of his formative years, Steve resided with his family in Guelph, Ontario. When Steve was 7, he was diagnosed with hip perthes disease, a condition which, if left untreated, would have resulted in the eventual destruction of his hip joint. To correct this, Steve underwent surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children at age 9, with a very successful outcome.
At age 11, Steve was once again admitted to The Hospital for Sick Children to undergo corrective surgery to one of his kidneys and bladder. This, too, was a most successful outcome.
While Steve endured some suffering at an early age, as a patient of The Hospital for Sick Children, he saw and befriended children with much more dire medical conditions than his. Steve credits this experience with the development and fine-tuning of his sense of empathy for those less fortunate than him.
Steve attended the Guelph Collegiate and Vocational Institute. Throughout high school, Steve was actively involved in sports and music. In addition, he worked during his high school years, most notably at The Golden Griddle Pancake House, where he started as a dishwasher, and eventually worked his way to becoming a cook and later, a server. He continued his employment with The Golden Griddle in university, spending one summer working for Head Office as a trainer in newly opened locations.
Upon completion of high school, Steve attended Queen’s University, in Kingston Ontario, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History. While at Queen’s, Steve played the sousaphone in Queen’s Marching Band, and enjoyed the privilege of marching in the Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas on January 1, 1982, and in the Grey Cup parade in Toronto in November of 1983. Just for fun, Steve was a member of Queen’s Players, a cabaret company which put on two productions each year at Clark Hall, the engineers’ pub.
Steve commenced Law School at the University of Western Ontario in September of 1984, graduating with the Class of ’87. While Steve focused primarily on his studies, he made time to actively participate in extra-curricular activities. He also enjoyed passing time in some of London’s finer establishments, such as the Ceeps and Joe Kools!
During his summers while attending university, Steve held down a variety of interesting summer jobs. Two examples stand out: after his third (and final) year at Queen’s, Steve was hired by Kingston’s Beth Israel Congregation to research the history of the Jewish community in Kingston, and write an essay based thereon. This essay was published in a book commemorating 75 years of the Beth Israel congregation from its inception in 1909.
The other notable summer employment for Steve was his self-employment with Fine Shine Hand Car Wash, which he operated in Kingston in the two summers following 1st and 2nd years of Law School. Steve’s experience running his own business taught him the values of discipline, quality service, and hard work, qualities which he strives to bring to his work as a lawyer.
After graduating from Law School in June of 1987, Steve articled in Hamilton, Ontario at the firm Luchak, Thoman ,Lofchik, Soule and Gage. Here, Steve was introduced to insurance law, with an emphasis primarily on defending claims against insurance companies.
Upon his Call to the Bar of Ontario on March 31, 1989, Steve commenced his practice of law at the firm of Lamont Paquette. As a young lawyer, Steve was given the opportunity to develop his skills across a broad range of disciplines including criminal law, family law and real estate.
In the Fall of 1994, Steve went out on his own and narrowed his practice to Family/Matrimonial Law. Over the next seven years, Steve honed his advocacy skills, appearing on countless motions, settlement conferences, and numerous trials.
In the Spring of 2001, Steve was approached by William Morris and invited to join The Morris Law Group. Steve saw this as a valuable opportunity to advance his career as an advocate by restricting his practice to plaintiff-only personal injury insurance law. Over the next eight and a half years, Steve gained tremendous experience in representing scores of individuals who had suffered losses as a result of the wrongdoing of others. The privilege of representing these individuals was enormously rewarding for Steve, and he firmly believes that he has found a home as a practitioner in this field.
In late 2009, Steve decided that it was time to “go it alone”, and effective January, 2010, Steve has continued his plaintiff-only personal injury practice here at Flaherty Sloan Hatfield. Steve’s colleagues at “Flashlaw” are all former highly successfully and productive members of The Morris Law Group. Steve has attained a high degree of experience and success in his practice and has proven to be a strong and passionate advocate for those who have been injured as a result of the wrongdoing of others. Where circumstances have demanded it, Steve has demonstrated the ability to navigate complicated cases through trial to successful conclusion.
Steve owes much of his success to the support of his wife, Tamara, a registered nurse working in paediatric oncology at McMaster’s Children’s Hospital. Not only is Tamara dedicated to the care of her patients, her devotion to her family is unparalleled. Steve and Tamara are the proud parents of three children, Jennifer (now 17), Sarah (15) and Blake (11).
In his time away from work, Steve is very active in the community. For the past 6 years, he has coached a Dundas girls rep soccer team and in more recent years, has coached his son, Blake’s, hockey team. Steve maintains a keen interest in music, reading, and fitness.
Contact: Stephen Sloan <sloan@flashlaw.ca> 905-522-9994