Lillian Foster was a Canadian journalist who worked as a reporter at the '' Toronto Telegram'' for forty seven years. Although she held several roles at the paper, she is best known for the 15 years she spent as the fashion editor. Foster was born in

Owen Sound Owen Sound ( 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers on an inlet of Georgian Bay. The primary tourist attract ...

. She began working for the ''Toronto Telegram'' in 1916 compiling lists of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

casualties. She later recalled how seeing the clippings of birth and death announcements pasted in family bibles underscored the importance of getting names right, explaining that: "if what I write is going to be that important to any family it's got to be right." She went on to cover various portfolios including suburban affairs and the Board of Education, and wrote biographies of Toronto business figures as part of a series called "A Peep Behind the Curtain of Time". Historian Majory Lang described Forster as a "zealous advocate on behalf of her readers" when it came to Foster's time as the author of "Shopper", a column dedicated to opinions about goods and where to find them in the city. Despite her many roles at the paper, Foster is best known for her work as fashion editor. Beginning in the 1940s, she reported on each of the New York fashion shows for 15 years, with the exception of one season during which time she was a member of the first Canadian tourist party to visit Russia. She was a promoter of Canadian made clothing, regularly serving as a commentator at fashion shows held during the Canadian National Exhibition. Foster remained with the ''Telegram'' for forty seven years. Her role at the paper was celebrated in 1951 by 750 friends who gathered to recognize her 35th year at the paper. In response to questions about her retirement she commented "I'll go out of here when they have to carry me out." In addition to her work at the ''Telegram'', Forster was a fan of horse racing and was a member of the

Canadian Women's Press Club Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

, at one time serving as the Toronto Branch president. She died 24 September 1963 at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital following a short illness attributed to a heart condition exacerbated by diabetes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Lillian 1963 deaths Canadian columnists Canadian women columnists Canadian newspaper reporters and correspondents Canadian women journalists Date of birth missing People from Owen Sound Canadian fashion journalists