Tim Forster

Freelance writer and editor

Canada

I cut my teeth as the editor of restaurant and nightlife site Eater Montreal, working as the site's sole staffer grow the site into Montreal's go-to source for food news, balancing useful guides with investigative reporting into wage theft and other issues in Montreal's hospitality scene, using my sharp tone and nose for stories to cultivate a loyal audience.

My skill and speed with Eater Montreal led me to write and report for an America-wide audience on Eater.com, while also contributing to 12 other local Eater sites in cities like Seattle, New Orleans, and San Francisco. Prior to Eater, I worked as a city reporter for CJAD, Montreal's top-rated English radio station, covering everything from car accidents to city hall.

As a freelancer, I've chalked up bylines in general interest magazine Maisonneuve, queer journal Hello Mr., architecture magazine Spacing, pop culture and politics site Junkee, and as a music critic for Exclaim. A veritable all-rounder, I have experience as an academic editor, copywriter, and curating artists for an international music festival. I also hold a masters in journalism from Carleton University, where I produced a thesis-equivalent audio documentary on gentrification and business development in Montreal's Gay Village.

Portfolio

Reporting

Teen Vogue
Police Uniforms Are Getting Scarier, Too

Police-uniform retailer Blauer splits its uniforms into three groups: Class A used to be the norm for police officers out on the street. With dark wool dress coats, ties, and maybe even gloves or epaulets, it's now mostly reserved for formal occasions like funerals and receptions.

Longform

Maisonneuve
05/10/2017
It Takes the Village

Despite crowds of tourists in the summer, and a prime location right near downtown, Montreal's Gay Village is pockmarked with empty storefronts, and many LGBTQ Montrealers shun the area. What's the deal?

Eater
12/15/2017
Why Don't Americans Eat Horse?

Six years ago, an episode of Top Chef Canada featured a moment that would never be replicated on its American counterpart under any circumstances — in part due to the backlash it received after one contestant was asked to cook with horse meat.

Culture and Criticism

Vulture
12/11/2020
Please Let Slag Wars Be Queer Reality TV's Future

So much more than a porn competition, the Men.com series hosted by the Cock Destroyers (Rebecca More and Sophie Anderson) is a celebration of bodily pleasure and emotional candor in a genre that has often struggled when it comes to LGBTQ+ stories.

Eater
06/19/2019
The Joys of Running a Japanese Convenience Store in America

In Japan, the convenience store (or conbini) is more than just a sporadically used urban amenity, visited for snacks, beer, and slushies - it's a neighborhood institution, offering everything from banking and photocopy services to bento boxes and clean restrooms. It's starkly different than the spartan North American equivalent: convenient for beer and snacks, but often more of a stopgap between visits to a take-out joint or an actual grocery store.