Uncovering Burnaby: Canada’s ‘First Lady of Jazz’ Eleanor Collins and her ties to the city

Eleanor Collins is known as Canada’s “first lady of jazz.”

She’s lived a legendary life and broke barriers as the first Black woman to host her own TV show in North America. She was even recently commemorated by Canada Post on a stamp. Collins also has ties to Burnaby, where she lived and faced discrimination from her neighbours and she used her music to try to bridge differences and unite her local community.

At 102-years-old, Collins has had a historic life. She was born in 1919 in Edmonton to parents of African American and Creole ancestry. Her parents and hundreds of other “Black homesteaders” had migrated from Oklahoma to the Canadian prairies after reading an ad in a newspaper inviting settlers to relocate to Canada and purchase 160-acres of uncleared land for $10.

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Collins began singing gospel music when she was a child. At 15, she won a talent competition, and she sang her song on local radio station CFRN.

In 1930, she moved to Vancouver and became involved in the local jazz scene. She appeared on CBC Radio with the gospel group Swing Low Quartet.

In 1942, Collins got married. She and her husband, Richard, moved to Franklin Street in Burnaby, and they were the first Black family in their neighbourhood. The Collins family was met with racism and discrimination. According to Canada Post’s profile on Collins, a neighbour made her aware of a petition circulating that tried to stop her from moving there.

Collins said that the “hostilities, name calling, bullying, and barriers came as no surprise. I knew that we had to develop a strategy to help create a climate in which our children could live without harassment. For me, it was about increasing my visibility in the community so people could get to know me.”

She decided to use her music to create connections and raise funds for local and charity organizations. She became involved in her local church and teacher associations, and she also taught music to the local Girl Guides. Collins also took her talent into schools to inspire students to pursue music education.

Collins noted that, slowly, folks in the community began to know her and her family, and their home even “became one of the central social gathering spots for all the children. It was my hope that I could help bridge the perceived differences that divide people instead of unite.”

By the 1950s she was performing with some of the best jazz talent at the time including Phil Nimmons, Fraser MacPherson, Don Thompson, and Chris Gage.

Collins was making history and breaking barriers in the entertainment world as well. In 1954 she made her television debut on CBC in Bamboula: A Day in the West Indies. This was the first Canadian TV show that featured a mixed-race cast.

The network then invited Collins to host her own variety show in 1955. Collins was the face of The Eleanor Show, and she became the first female Canadian singer to host her own TV show and the first Black TV host in North America.

In 1964, Collins went on to host another show titled Eleanor, and she continued performing throughout the years. She received many offers to relocate to the US but chose to stay in Canada. Her last concert took place in Vancouver when she was in her 90s.

Throughout her career, Collins has received many awards and accolades. She was recognized by the Black Historical and Cultural Society for Black History Month in 1998. In 2005, she received the Sam Payne Lifetime Achievement Award and became a member of The Order of Canada in 2014. In January 2022, Canada Post released a stamp to honour Collins and her incredible career.

“How do I feel? I feel wonderful and honoured. You know, at 102 years old, one doesn’t expect to even be remembered. But I am grateful. Now that’s something you can’t take away,” Collins said in an interview, reflecting on having a postage stamp dedicated to her.

Today, Collins resides in Surrey and she forever holds the title of “Canada’s First Lady of Jazz.”

Although she’s known for her musical gift, Collins has also lived her life with the intention to try to do good, and she once offered this piece of advice: “I am a firm believer that wherever you are, whatever corner you are in, you can be doing everyone some good. Everyone.”