Colleen Jones’ longtime teammate and close friend, Nancy Delahunt, says the Canadian curling legend leaves behind a legacy that stretched far beyond championships and television screens.

Jones, 65, died this week after a battle with cancer.

Her decades-long career made her one of Nova Scotia’s most accomplished athletes, with multiple Scotties titles, two world championships, and a broadcasting career that spanned nearly four decades.

For Delahunt, who first met Jones in high school, her influence was deeply personal.

“I’ve known Colleen since we were 15 or 16,” she said. “Outside of my immediate family, she was likely the most influential person in my life.” Delahunt said Jones shaped not only her curling career but her resilience and confidence as an adult. “She truly changed my structure,” she said. “What I learned from her carried through to the rest of my life.”

Delahunt first joined Jones’ team as an alternate in 1991, later becoming part of the core lineup that dominated Canadian curling from the late 1990s into the 2000s. She said Jones’ competitive drive stood out even during years when curling culture wasn’t training-focused.

“In the 80s, nobody practised. You just showed up for games,” Delahunt recalled. “But Colleen was throwing rocks every day. She demanded a level of commitment that the sport didn’t really see back then.”

That intensity sometimes made her a challenging teammate in the early years. But Delahunt said Jones grew significantly over her career, shifting toward a focus on teamwork and cohesion. “She realized she needed four happy people on the team,” she said. “She really evolved.”

A presence far beyond the ice

Jones’ broadcasting career also defined her public life, and Delahunt said she approached storytelling with the same energy she brought to competition.

“She did something no one else ever did—or will do again,” Delahunt said. “She filed a story every day, often shooting and editing it herself. She could fly by the seat of her pants and somehow create magic.”

Delahunt said Jones had a gift for connecting with people from all walks of life. “She was welcomed into so many homes,” she said. “Her stories were unlike anything else.”

A remarkable friend

Amid decades of travelling, competing, and raising families at the same time, the two built a deep friendship.

Delahunt shared that Jones became a trusted part of her family’s life—so trusted, in fact, that she was the person Delahunt’s daughter could turn to if she ever needed guidance she wasn’t ready to bring to her parents.

“That’s how much I trusted her,” Delahunt said. “She was incredibly empathetic and compassionate.”

From the rink to the newsroom, Jones pushed others to be better. Delahunt believes that’s what people will remember most.

“She helped build my resilience and confidence,” she said. “She always had this profound wisdom. She was part of my adult life for 50 years.”

Jones is survived by her husband, Scott Saunders, and sons Luke and Zach.