Former Melfort mayor, councillor, teacher passes after cancer battle

Collins earned a seat on council in 1991 and stayed there for 12 years until he was elected as mayor in 2003. Collins also received the most amount of votes to get on council in the 1997 and 2000 elections, according to the City of Melfort’s election history that dates back to 1997.

Current Mayor Rick Lang was voted on to council in 2003 and said Collins served as somewhat of a mentor for him.

“I got a lot of advice from Darrell that first term,” Lang said. “As to what role I should play and what kinds of things should be important when you’re looking at the overall picture.”

Lang said Collins would always try and use common sense in his decision making. Something he tries to emulate now as Mayor.

“Sometimes you have to leave your heart out of it, and you have to make decisions based on what your brain is telling you,” Lang told northeastNOW. “And based on what’s best for the entire community.”

Collins was also someone that would always hear others opinions according to Lang. He said Collins was someone you could stand in front of and tell him you disagree with him and why. Lang said Collins would take that and think about it before responding, sometimes saying they made a good point, and sometimes not.

Lang said Collins became a friend, and even though sometimes they had different views.

“We always had times where we agreed with each other, and we had times where we didn’t agree with each other,” he said. “But, I guess we had a friendship that we could definitely articulate that to each other without getting offended.”

During his time as mayor, Collins was involved in a number of projects, but one of the biggest ones was the part he played in the Kerry Vickar Centre coming to Melfort. Lang said while Kevin Phillips was Mayor when the facility was built, Collins was the one to get it off the ground. Lang said Kerry Vickar approached Collins asking what he could do in the community, and he mentioned the idea for the facility. Kerry Vickar thought about it and agreed, making the KVC as it’s known now, a reality.

Even when he left the council chambers in 2006, Lang said Collins was still involved and informed.

“Even after he was not part of politics, he made sure that he was always well informed as to what was going on,” he said.

Lang said it’s sad news to hear the Collins has passed away, and his heart goes out to his wife, children, and rest of the family. He said, “I’ll certainly miss him.”

“It is tough when something like that happens,” Lang said. “Because, he was more than just a former mayor to me.”

Flags have been brought down to half-mast at City Hall as a sign of respect and condolences.

Collins former colleague at Broadway Elementary School, Gloria Galloway called him one of her favourite people to work with.

“No matter the situation, he remained calm, steadfast and stuck to what he believed was right,” she said in a message to northeastNOW. “Everyday was a good day when you got to work with Darrell. He was a good listener if you needed to confide in someone.”

Galloway also added Collins had a good sense of humor and and certainly contributed to the positive atmosphere at the school. She said students and staff all liked him and Collins always made someone feeling good after a chat.

While many knew Collins as a member of local politics, and a teacher, he was first a family man. His daughter Jacinda told northeastNOW in a message that Darrell was very proud of her and her brother, but nothing made him prouder than his grandkids.

“His face lit up whenever they were around,” she said. “He took as many opportunities as possible to spend time with them and teach them about politics, the environment, and the importance of community and helping others.”

Jacinda added Darrell and the family spent a lot of time at Candle Lake and he was very much into fishing, canoeing, visiting lake friends, and getting involved in building projects.

His son Jason said one thing that stuck with him was how much empathy his father had.

“He always seemed to understand their point of view and where they were coming from,” Jason said. “He was keenly interested in fairness and social justice for everyone. It motivated almost everything he did, looking back.”

Jason added he was taught many things through the example his father set.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett

by Mat Barrett

Former Melfort mayor, councillor, teacher passes after cancer battle

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