Cobourg Council has approved plans to host the Norwegian ambassador and members of Fern Blodgett Sunde’s family this fall, in a special tribute to one of the town’s most remarkable figures.
Council’s decision, made last week, supports a ceremony scheduled for September 19 at the statue honouring Blodgett Sunde in Victoria Park. It includes a temporary waiver of beach-area parking permit rules between noon and 3 p.m. so the public and dignitaries can attend more easily.
Blodgett Sunde, who grew up in Cobourg, became the first woman in the world to serve as a wireless radio operator at sea during the Second World War. She joined the Norwegian merchant ship M/S Mosdale and completed 70 transatlantic crossings during the Battle of the Atlantic. In 1943, she became the first woman to receive the Norwegian War Medal for her service.
A twin statue was unveiled in her honour in Farsund, Norway last year, where she lived following the war. Her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson visited the Cobourg monument in 2023.
The September visit and ceremony will celebrate her international legacy of courage and service.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
