A special remembrance ceremony to honour Fern Blodgett Sunde was held in Cobourg’s Victoria Park on Friday (September 19, 2025) afternoon where her statue is located.
The date, Sept. 19, marked the anniversary of her death in 1991, but the ceremony was a celebration of her accolades and legacy, which includes twin statues in Cobourg along with Farsund, Norway.
Blodgett Sunde was raised in Cobourg and became the first Canadian woman to serve as a wireless radio operator at sea during the Second World War.
She was the first woman to receive the Norwegian War Medal in 1943 for her accomplishments and courage during 78 transatlantic crossings aboard Norwegian merchant ship M/S Mosdale in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Norwegian Ambassador Designate Hanne Ulrichsen said it was a pleasure to be in Cobourg for the first time, calling it “a beautiful city.”
She said Blodgett Sunde’s story “is one of quiet defiance, unwavering bravery and a legacy that continues to inspire across oceans.”
The bronze statue by renowned Canadian sculptor Tyler Fauvelle was unveiled in Cobourg in 2020 and its twin in Norway was unveiled in Farsund on May 8 of this year.
“When I created the monument of Fern Blodgett Sunde for Cobourg, I hoped that another would stand in Norway one day,” Fauvelle said. “It was a great joy for me to attend the unveiling of the twin bronze in Farsund, the beautiful community that Fern called home.”
Fauvelle said the monuments in Cobourg and Farsund will allow future generations to cross paths with history as they are acts of remembrance.
“The book Eiliv Hauge wrote in 1954, its recent translation into English, the recording of these ceremonies and Fern’s history in video and film, as well as the oral history passed down through Fern’s family, are all keys to remembrance and resistance,” he said. “Those who have given time, money, and talent to these endeavours are all allies in remembrance, and have created essential markers for tomorrow. This is important. If we do not remember, it is hard to be on guard against new threats to freedom. When we remember, we are ready to resist the erosion of liberty.
“For many years to come, I hope that Fern will connect the communities of Cobourg and Farsund, both in friendship and in our solemn duty of remembrance.”
Cobourg Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty represented the town at the ceremony.
“How glorious it is to be here in our very special sensory garden on this glorious day to celebrate a glorious woman,” Beatty said. “Fern was a hero, a trailblazer and clearly a human being that was loved by her community, her nationalities and her family. Yesterday I had the pleasure of welcoming the Norwegian delegation at town hall where we were able to take them through Cobourg’s own history and the look of love and compassion and awe in their face as they were able to travel through time and see where Fern spent some of her life.”
Beatty noted Fern’s family in attendance and thanked storytellers for keeping history and people’s stories alive, naming Leona Woods and the Cobourg Museum Foundation along with Graham Beer.
Northumberland-Clarke MP Philip Lawrence said nothing held Blodgett Sunde back from her desire to serve, despite women being prohibited from serving on board Canadian and British ships.
“She proved them wrong and gave us greater ties to Norway in the process by serving on the Norwegian merchant vessel M/S Mosdale,” Lawrence said. “Today, two small towns are brought together to celebrate one big legacy. We are connected by more than just twin statues, we are connected by the legacy of an incredible woman and a commitment to remembering all those who served in the Second World War.”
MP Philip Lawrence remarks
Thank you for the invitation to be here with you today
First of all, an enormous welcome to those joining us from across the Atlantic from Farsund in Norway and a special welcome to Fern’s family. It is an honour to have you with us.
During a time long before Wi-Fi, the internet, and other modern comforts we have grown accustomed to, Fern was doing the hard work of connecting and delivering messages during the Battle of the Atlantic as a wireless operator
Accuracy was key and the work was hard. She was the first woman to serve as a seaborne wireless radio operator and endured many obstacles.
But nothing held her back from her desire to serve, including the fact that women were prohibited from serving on board Canadian and British ships.
She proved them wrong, and gave us greater ties to Norway in the process by serving on the Norwegian merchant vessel M/S Mosdale.
Today, two small towns are brought together to celebrate one big legacy. We are connected by more than just twin statues, we are connected by the legacy of an incredible woman and a commitment to remembering all those who served in the Second World War.
May Fern’s memory be an enduring one, one that also inspires people today to work hard, dream big, and serve well.
Thank you for the invitation, and welcome once again to Cobourg.
Fern Blodgett Sunde Remembrance Ceremony – September 19, 2025 – Tyler Fauvelle
Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure for me to be among friends and allies in Cobourg today, for this ceremony of remembrance. As always, thank you for your warm welcome.
Norway and Canada have been linked for centuries, ever since the first Norsemen set foot in Newfoundland.
Our friendship and partnership deepened during the dark times of World War II, when we fought side by side with our allies to defeat the Axis powers. As Winston Churchill once said, “There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them.”
Our two countries share many values and interests, and we continue to be strong partners in safeguarding democracy.
When I created the monument of Fern Blodgett Sunde for Cobourg, I hoped that another would stand in Norway, one day. It was a great joy for me to attend the unveiling of the twin bronze in Farsund, the beautiful community that Fern called home.
In the years since I sculpted this monument, I’ve watched the world move from “never again”, to “this, again?” I’ve thought more deeply about the importance of allies, and of the significance of the art of remembrance. It’s no coincidence that authoritarian regimes ban, censor, and destroy works of literature and art that foreshadow dystopia, and inspire resistance. I think of Michelangelo’s statue of David, a symbol of resistance against Medici power, or Picasso’s emotional anti-war painting, “Guernica”.
I consider Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”, or I hear the haunting whistling from “The Bridge on the River Kwai”. Why is the poem “In Flanders Fields” so powerful? Because those who died in defence of freedom are imploring and warning those who follow to remember, to resist.
The monument “Make Waves” commemorates a young woman who fought against schools that did not want to train women as professional radio operators, then who went on to shock a young Norwegian captain when she dared ask for a job on the Mosdale.
Once Fern joined the Mosdale, she battled seasickness and fear to stay at her post. In time, she took a leap of faith, marrying Captain Sunde, with no certainty that they would survive the war.
Gerner’s fury at Norway’s occupation by the Nazis became her fury as well, and she did not quit, despite nerve-wracking anxiety and hardship.
Bravely crossing the North Atlantic 78 times as part of the Allied victory at sea, she opened the door for other young women to follow. In the face of oppression and tyranny, this daring young woman decided to get out there, and make waves.
The monuments in Cobourg and Farsund will allow future generations to cross paths with history; they are acts of remembrance.
The book Eiliv Hauge wrote in 1954, its recent translation into English, the recording of these ceremonies and Fern’s history in video and film, as well as the oral history passed down through Fern’s family, are all keys to remembrance and resistance.
Those who have given time, money, and talent to these endeavours are all allies in remembrance, and have created essential markers for tomorrow.
This is important.
If we do not remember, it is hard to be on guard against new threats to freedom. When we remember, we are ready to resist the erosion of liberty.
The story of Fern and Gerner tells us that we CAN resist, we MUST resist. We are standing here in freedom, thanks to all the men and women who fought, suffered and sacrificed for the cause of civilization.
For many years to come, I hope that Fern will connect the communities of Cobourg and Farsund, both in friendship, and in our solemn duty of remembrance.
Only those who remember, only those who resist, can hope to be free.
Tusen takk, thank you.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
