Forrest at 17 joined the Army and went to university, a beginning that sparked a 34½ year adventure as a military engineer, then as a civil servant working in Environmental Management for National Defence.

In 1998, with his partner in life Diana Smith they co-created EcoSol (Ecological Solutions) Consulting Inc. His practice focuses on Climate Change including the facilitation of Energy Performance Contracts at large institutions.

A member of First Victoria Unitarian Congregation, he has participated in the Social Responsibility Council, the Ministerial Internship Committee and other tasks. Currently he sits on the Capital Regional District Round Table on the Environment and on Victoria’s Environmental Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Canada Green Building Council and the Association of Professional Engineers in Ontario and BC, and chairs the CUC Environmental Monitoring Group.