We regret to advise of the death of Sapper Brian James Collier in Afghanistan on 20 July 2010.
Sapper Collier had been wounded three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan. Having recovered at the Kandahar airbase, he returned to his unit to complete his tour. Brian was killed on 20 July by a blast from an improvised explosive device near Nakhonay (about 15 km. west of Kandahar).
Born in Toronto in 1986 and raised in Bradford ON (where the street "Brian Collier Way" has been named in his honour), Sapper Collier was a member of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton. After graduating from Bradford District High School Brian worked for a while before joining the Canadian Forces in 2007. He was posted to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in November 2008 after completing his basic Combat Engineering training at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.
Repatriation took place on Friday, 23 July. Visitation is Wednesday, 28 July at 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 -9:00 p.m. at the Lathangue Chapel of Skwarchuk Funeral Homes [30 Simcoe Road, Bradford].
Funeral and interment services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, 29 July at Holy Martyrs of Japan Roman Catholic Church, 167 Essa Street, Bradford, ON. A private interment ceremony will follow the funeral. In Memoriam donations in Sapper Collier's name can be made to: Holy Martyrs of Japan Church Building Fund , Bradford District High School Scholarship Fund (Payable to: Brian Collier Memorial Fund-Simcoe County District School or Holy Trinity High School Scholarship Fund (Payable to: Catholic Education Trust Fund of Simcoe County/Muskoka. For more details, please contact the funeral home at (800) 209-4803).