Elnora Ruth Collins (née Procter), is known as "Canada's First Lady of Jazz". She's a singer, and actor born on 21 November 1919 in Edmonton, Alberta. Eleanor Collins was the first Canadian woman and the first Black entertainer in Canada to have her own national television show, CBC TV’s The Eleanor Show (1955). Often compared to American singer Lena Horne, Collins performed on many television and radio variety shows, as well as in clubs. She is a member of the Order of Canada and the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame and the recipient of numerous lifetime achievement awards.
Canada Post released a commemorative stamp in her honour in January 2022.
She has fostered the values of equality and acceptance; is recognized as a civic leader and pioneer in the development of British Columbia’s music industry. She is celebrated for her extensive career as a jazz singer; one of the first black artists in North America to host a national, weekly television series.
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