Sheldon is a native of Glenboro and a graduate of the University of Manitoba where he obtained a BSc (1972) and MSc (1975) degrees in Civil Engineering with specialization in physical hydrology. He was a public servant in the New Brunswick government (four years), in the Saskatchewan government (14 years) and in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (four years).
Since 1996, he has operated his own environmental consulting business and has been an adjunct professor and sessional lecturer at the University of Manitoba.
He is now semi-retired and spending more time in a canoe and on a bike.