The children of the late Jack and Blanche Stewart of Harbour Breton were treated to a very special day on August 14 as the Sunny Cottage Corporation hosted a Stewart Family Day.
The special day was held in conjunction with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Sunny Cottage, which was the residence of the Stewart family from 1952 to 1996.
Doug Wells, the chair of the Sunny Cottage Corporation, said that the corporation wanted to host the special day for several reasons.
He said, “The history of Sunny Cottage, over the past 50 years, has resonated through the Stewart family. We’ve learned a lot of history about the residence through the family who contributed so much in maintaining the architecture of the cottage over the years.
“ John and Mary Rose, the original owners of Sunny Cottage, had no children so it was the Stewart family who really made the house a home. We thought that this would be a nice gesture to the children especially in light of the fact that we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the cottage this year.”
One of the Stewart children who helped make the house a home was Mary Stone, the oldest of the eight Stewart children.
Stone, who has been a resident of Burgeo for the past 40 years or so, said, “I was about 7 when my parents moved to Sunny Cottage. Most of my memories of the house are connected to my brothers Albert (who passed away in 1980) and Don.
“I can remember Albert and I going up in the attic to watch lightning storms through the little windows up there. We thought that was great.
“I can remember playing in the garden and the freedom we enjoyed out there. It was a lovely home and this was a great place to live.”
Mary left Harbour Breton when she was 16 to attend school in St. John’s and, except for occasional visits, has been away from the community since that time.
“I’ve been away for a long time,” she said, “but this place will always hold special memories for me.”
Key Events
The Stewart Family Day included two main activities during the afternoon portion of the event.
Mayor Eric Skinner,Heather Blackmore, Miss Sunny Cottage, and Stewart family member Pansy Blackmore unveiled a 100th anniversary commemorative plaque at the cottage.
The second main activity was the planting of a tree to mark the 100th anniversary of the building.
Stewart Family Dinner
The special day continued in the evening with a Stewart Family Dinner that was held at the Southern Port Hotel.
This event included the presentations of gifts to the Stewart family members and certificates to four women who worked at the cottage. These employees included Jean Day, Cora Stone, Ethel Stone and Evelyn Tibbo.
Mrs. Mullins was also presented with a special certificate, as she is the only remaining relative of John Rose, the original owner of Sunny Cottage. She was also an employee of Mr. Rose at one point in time.
MP Judy Foote, Minister Dave Denine and MHA Tracey Perry addressed the gathering during the supper. Each speaker said that they were honoured to attend the special event with the Stewart family members.
Don Stewart, speaking on behalf of the Stewart family, thanked the Sunny Cottage Corporation members for the special day that brought back a lot of memories for all the family.
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