“she’s a living, breathing, walking example of what it means to be resilient,” duxbury says. “she has a very positive outlook on life and on the people she meets. she doesn’t let things get her down. she doesn’t complain, but focusses on what’s good about her situation.”
collins’ son, jim, 73, a retired anglican minister, lives with his mother. “she’s a very intelligent, very caring person. she likes to help people,” he says.
collins was born edith marie hudson on aug. 17, 1924, in coalmont, a small coal-mining town in the british columbia interior. her father was a steam engineer. the family moved during the great depression to the fraser valley so collins’ older sister could go to high school.
collins finished high school in chilliwack, b.c., but decided against what was then called senior matriculation because it cost $100. “we weren’t very affluent,” she says.
instead, she took a job as a riveter with boeing canada in its sea island manufacturing plant, which built pby catalina aircraft for off-shore air patrols. the plant in richmond, b.c., opened in 1939 as production ramped up for the second world war.
the war opened up vast new job opportunities for women like collins, who took on traditionally male roles so men could be released for wartime service.