In Cobourg’s Victoria Park stands a powerful tribute to one of its own: Fern Blodgett Sunde, the first Canadian female wireless radio operator and the first woman to serve at sea during the Second World War. Unveiled on October 17, 2020, the life-sized bronze statue, titled Make Waves by sculptor Tyler Fauvelle, honours Sunde’s groundbreaking service aboard the Norwegian merchant ship Mosdale during the Battle of the Atlantic.
A twin monument was unveiled on May 8, 2025, in Farsund, Norway—where Sunde settled after the war—overlooking the fjord at “Fern Sundes Plass.” Together, the statues in Cobourg and Farsund celebrate Sunde’s legacy, her role in breaking barriers for women, and the enduring bond between Canada and Norway.