Bittersweet symphony: Late Susan Shiner's family grateful for outpouring of support at folk festival

For father and son Rick Page and Ian Page-Shiner, the 41st annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival was bittersweet.

Ian Page-Shiner's band, Shred Kelly, played the festival for the first time, and Rick Page received the Folk Arts Society's lifetime achievement award.

Both events were missed bySusan Shiner Ian's mother and Rick's wife who died of cancer two weeks ago.

Page told CBC'sSt. John's Morning Show that accepting the award without Shiner they were named co-winners in July for the decades of volunteer work they've done for the festival was difficult.

"It's hard. She loved the festival so much. So to be at it without her was hard, but there was a huge outpouring of support," he said.

Though hard, Page saidhe was honoured to accept the award for the both of them.

"It was wonderful. I appreciated the award a lot. Susan did an incredible amount of work for the folk community in this province, and it was so great to see it recognized."

'I was thinking about her the whole time'

Ian Page-Shinertold CBC being on stage with his band was very emotional; one of his mother's wishes was to live long enough to see him play the festival.

"I was thinking about her the whole time," he said.

"It felt really good also because I've been going to the festival with my parents since I was very young, probably since I was in my mom's belly. I've wanted to play that stage for a long time, so there was a lot of joy and a lot of sadness along with it."

The friends that [my parents] surround themselves with in this town have been so supportive and made it a bit easier in this hard time.- Ian Page-Shiner

For both Page and Page-Shiner, the weekend festival saw an outpouring of support from friends and strangers alike.

"Seeing the love and support returned was very, very... well, what she would say, it was love and gratitude. Love and gratitude," said Page.

Page-Shiner called it "amazing."

"Everyone in the community loves my parents," he said.

"All I can say [is] it's so amazing, the friends that they surround themselves with in this town have been so supportive and made it a bit easier in this hard time."