June 12,1955: Eleanor Collins is the first woman in Canada and one of the first Black artists in North America to host her own national weekly television music variety show

The very first Eleanor show aired on June 12, 1955. Eleanor Collins received numerous awards for her contribution to arts and entertainment, including the 1986 Centennial Distinguished Pioneer Award, induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame (1992), ACTRA’s Sam Payne Lifetime Achievement Award, and lifetime achievement awards from the Toronto Black Diversity Network Black Canadian Award and the Black Women in Jazz Award. On November 21, 2014, on her 95th Birthday, Eleanor Collins was invested into the Order of Canada and in January 2022 honoured with a commemorative stamp.

Image courtesy of Judith Maxie