Community remembers Nicole Edwards, Yukon musician and staunch youth advocate

Despite no longer being able to play instruments, Nicole Edwards didn't let her disease stop her from creating music, her friend and collaborator Andrea McColeman says.

"She was constantly creating stuff in her head, and she would sing it to me," said McColeman. 

"Not just, here's the song and here's the words, but here's all the parts, and here's how it should feel, and here's the beat. She had a clear vision of what she wanted to create and was really good at communicating."

Edwards, a musician, performer, mentor and youth advocate, died on Sept. 8 at age 51, after battling a rare disease called scleroderma for many years.

The disease, which causes collagen build-up and the hardening of skin and connective tissue, took away her ability to play instruments, but not her positive attitude and passion for advocacy, says McColeman.

"She was really a great example of how whatever you're faced with, see the positives and be grateful for what you have," said McColeman.

McColeman said Edwards never shied away from being silly, even in her later years, citing the last song she released in 2020 called "Dos Pantalones", a Spanish-language song about long johns.