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FEATURE
Originally from Alberta, Forrest came from selfdescribed
humble beginnings. “I joined the army to
make some money to fund my university, to travel,
and simply to enjoy life, and everything went from
there. The only thing remarkable about my career
path was that I didn’t have one.”
By September 11, 1989, Forrest had finished his
probationary fire fighting training and, true to his
challenge-driven persona, was contemplating
embarking on a Masters degree in History.
But a chance visit to the Faculty of Law and a brief
chat with Professor Roland Penner ignited a different
notion in the young Forrest. “We had this conversation
about law and how it can take you in different
directions. It really struck a chord in me.”
Forrest followed his impulse and earned his law
degree while working full time as a firefighter. “I did
this by changing all my day shifts for night shifts at the
fire department during law school and for the year
that I articled with Krawchuk and Fleishmann. I was
called to the bar in 1996, and then I practiced with
Edmond & Associates for two years.”
What Forrest calls the ‘perfect job’ culminated in his
election as president of the United Fire Fighters of
Winnipeg, a position that brought together his two
abiding passions, firefighting and the law as it relates
to advocating for firefighters’ rights, health, and safety.
“It’s the best possible job. I represent firefighters
nationally from coast to coast.”
Forrest still takes on fire fighting shifts, but concedes
that the more successful you get in this business the
more you are drawn off by different things, so it is all
about priorities. “I want to do as many fire shifts as I
can, but can’t because I’m involved with issues that
literally mean life and death to firefighters.”
While acting locally, Forrest has effected global
change for his work on presumptive legislation.
This legislation presumes that fire fighting is the
cause of certain cancers that are more frequently
experienced by full-time firefighters than by the
rest of the population. Initiated in Manitoba in 2002,
but retroactive to 1992, the legislation ensures that
firefighters suffering from these occupational diseases
receive appropriate benefits.
“It was the perfect storm because of my legal
background and knowledge, and many of the issues
were based in the law and legislative drafting. I
worked in Manitoba and then I assisted in Alberta, and
then basically every province was calling me to make
a presentation. Within five years, most of Canada had
adopted some model of presumptive legislation.”
The rest of the fire fighting global community took
notice. “I had the tremendous honour of speaking
103 ROBSON HALL ALUMNI REPORT