"We were both living there, and she hired me to teach yoga privately and we just became very, very close friends. We both had dogs we walked every day together, and similar hobbies and things.
"She ended up moving to Grande Prairie to take a job offering there and I ended up moving to Vancouver Island, but we [still] talked every few days on Facebook and on the phone."
Ms Hartwell described her friend as "an exceptionally vibrant person".
"I know that a lot of people might say that about people that have passed, but she really was. She made friends wherever she went, she lit up a room.
"She had a big personality and a big energy and she was really giving and really generous and would really go out of her way for people, even if she didn't know them.
"I loved her dearly, it's so painful, grief just takes time to process. I am just praying for her baby."
The couple's 4-month-old daughter, Ayla, suffered serious injuries in the crash that killed her parents, and remains in a serious condition in a Montpellier hospital in France.
As of this morning, $26,406 has been raised on the Jerry Collins Memorial Fund Givealittle page, which was established for the baby girl.
Ms Hartwell said she had not spoken to Ms Madill's family since the tragic accident and had "tried to give them space", but understood her friend's body would be returned to them.
"My understanding, but I could be incorrect, is the body is going to be brought back to her last place of residence, where her family lives, in Alberta.
"Because she was so, so, so loved I know there are going to be ceremonies all over Canada for her... she had hundreds of friends in all these different cities."
Ms Hartwell said friends of Ms Madill wanted to pay tribute to their friend by celebrating her life.
"Most of us want to celebrate, we are tired of mourning we feel she would want us to be... honouring the life that she lived, rather than mourning her death.
"She had such a big, happy, vibrant life."
Yesterday, Mr Collin's family said details of his final farewell would be known within the next few days, as members of the former All Black's extended family began to arrive in Wellington from Samoa.
An uncle told the Herald yesterday the family chiefs were gathering to discuss and organise "what needed to be organised", but that preparations had not been finalised as they were still working to get Collins home.
"We're just sticking together and his parents have gone to another house because it's been [overwhelming]."
