COLLINE J. CAULDER

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COLLINE J. CAULDER

Colline Caulder, also known by her pen names, Billi King and Stephanie Nynych, passed peacefully at age 90 on July 14, 2026, in the wonderful care of Christiana Egi's dedicated team at Alexis Lodge in Toronto. Special thanks go to her primary caregiver, Maureen, for her great care, love and warmth, as well as to Ravinder and Mary.

Colline was born on July 21, 1935, on a farm in Cooks Creek, Manitoba, to Ukrainian immigrants Anna and Steven Nynych. She attended a one-room schoolhouse that was later profiled by the Winnipeg Free Press.

She is survived by her sister, MaryAnne Ashley, and the descendants of her late siblings Danny, Nelly, and Steve. She also leaves behind her daughter Isis, son-in-law Karim, and two grandchildren, Azra and Raya.

Colline lived a life defined by learning, travel, and poetry. She studied chemistry at the University of Manitoba, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1958, and went on to complete post-graduate work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. She then spent five years traveling through Europe and the Middle East, a period during which she transformed herself into a writer. Her adventures also brought her to Andy Warhol's Factory in New York City and to Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

She eventually settled in Toronto, where she published six collections of poetry: Reflections on Love (1969), …and like I see it (1972), Scientific Study (1974), By Death Never Leave Me (1974), Punk Shots (1980), and Once Over Lightly (1988). The latter two marked a striking departure in style, embracing rough, street-wise language under the name Billi King and featuring her own bold pen-and-ink illustrations.

Colline was involved with the League of Canadian Poets as it was taking shape in the late 1960s, and she had strong roots in Toronto's poetry scene, where she frequently performed her work. She maintained close and enduring friendships and correspondence with fellow Canadian poets Milton Acorn, Gwendolyn MacEwen, Joe Rosenblatt, Fred Cogswell, and Ted Plantos, among many others. Colline held strong convictions about social justice and inequality, themes that ran deeply through her writing. Reviewing …and like I see it, critic Leona Gom placed her among poetry's unflinching, plainspoken voices, noting the collection's tough tone and its commitment to telling things exactly as they were.

Colline will be laid to rest at the Memorial Gardens in the Transcona Cemetery on Tuesday September 15, 2026.

 Donations to the Canadian Writers' Foundation at:

https://canadianwritersfoundation.org/ in Colline's name are welcome.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 12, 2026