Titanic model started by Embree man 28 years ago nearly complete

A man in central Newfoundland is nearly finished what he calls his life's work — a model of the Titanic.

It's the latest in a long line of sculptures for Edward Collins of Embree, who has been attracting visitors to his property for years from across the country.

Collins has been working on his Titanic replica since 1987, periodically  — sometimes for only a half hour, and often getting lost in the project for hours at a time.

The boat itself is now a symbol of Collins own personal loss, as he would often show off the project to his father as he was working on it, 

"When my father passed away, I kind of lost interest in her," Collins said. "But I'm going to try to finish her now."

Collins believes the ship still needs a few more weeks of work, but he has already seen how emotional people can get when they see the ship.

The Titanic isn't Collins' only model — his yard is also filled with some of his other sculptures, including a moose and a trio of polar bears.

He said the polar bears are so realistic that an RCMP officer once almost shot at them.

"He aimed the gun at the polar bear, and he stopped and he said — 'Oh my, that's not real polar bears' — 'I better get out of here before someone notices me'."

Collins believes the ship still needs a few more weeks of work, but if anyone ever wants to see the model, they are welcome to knock on his door.

In the meantime, he still reads about the famous ship to help him finish up the final touches. Building the replica has helped put into perspective just how big of a tragedy it was when it sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912.

"Lot's of times when I was building this boat, the people come to mind," he said. "All those people that drowned."