Northern Ont.-based sculptor unveils bronze monument in Norway honouring WWII hero

An unveiling video for 'Make Waves,' a life-sized bronze monument commemorating Canadian war hero Fern Blodgett Sunde sculpted by a northern Ontario artist.

Sudbury-based sculptor Tyler Fauvelle unveiled Make Waves, a life-sized bronze monument commemorating Canadian war hero Fern Blodgett Sunde, in Farsund, Norway, on May 8 – the 80th anniversary of VE Day, also celebrated as Liberation Day in Norway.

The statue honours Sunde, a trailblazing radio operator who served aboard the Norwegian merchant ship Mosdale during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. The public ceremony included dignitaries, veterans, and military representatives from Canada, Britain, and Norway.

The Farsund monument is a twin to one Fauvelle unveiled in 2020 in Cobourg, Ont., Sunde’s hometown. Born in 1918, Sunde dreamed of a maritime career – an unlikely ambition for a young woman at the time.

“Fern made righteous trouble pushing past schools that didn’t want to train women as professional wireless radio operators, and then she broke all kinds of barriers to get on that ship in 1941, the most dangerous time of the Battle of the Atlantic,” Fauvelle said in an email to CTV News.

The sculpture’s name, ‘Make Waves,’ reflects Sunde’s perseverance, the radio waves central to her work, and the wartime social changes for women.

Aboard the Mosdale, Sunde faced seasickness, torpedoes, mined waters, and storms. In 1942, she married the ship’s captain, Gerner Sunde, as both risked their lives in the war effort. The couple completed 78 of the Mosdale’s record 96 Atlantic crossings, transporting vital supplies.

In 1943, Norway’s King Haakon VII awarded Sunde the Norway War Medal – an unprecedented honour for a Canadian woman – recognizing her bravery and the bond between Norway and Canada.

“Monuments such as Make Waves are tangible reminders,” Fauvelle said.

“History is always speaking to us. How can we recognize and resist the erosion of our liberties, without the example of those who came before us?”

Sunde settled in Farsund after the war and lived there until her death in 1991.

The new bronze stands at Fern Sundes Plass, overlooking the Farsund fjord. Its counterpart remains in Cobourg’s Victoria Park, commemorating Sunde and all Battle of the Atlantic veterans.

Fauvelle, a professional sculptor since 2008, has created numerous commemorative works across Ontario.