Broom Point
Broom Point in Gros Morne National Park juts raggedly into the Gulf of St.
Lawrence like a worn version of its namesake. The marine mammals, birds, and
fish of the cold Gulf waters have attracted people to this site for more than
2,300 years.
On an early summer's day in 1990, friends and family gathered at Broom Point to
mark an important event, the restoration of the Mudge family cabin and fish
store. When Nellie Mudge cut the red ribbon, it marked a special moment in the
working friendship that had grown between this remarkable family and Parks
Canada.
Three Mudge brothers and their families fished from the site from 1941 until
1975, when they sold the property to the national park. With the family’s
generosity, the buildings have been restored.
The site consists of a cabin and a fish store restored to the way they were when
the family lived and worked there. Boats built by the Mudges are exhibited in
the fish store alongside nets, traps, and other home-made gear. The cabin is
filled with many original artifacts including handiwork and furniture the family
donated for the restoration. In a small cove just south of the point, there is a
cemetery where some of the earlier residents of Broom Point are buried.
Interpretation at Broom Point today focuses on the Mudge family fishing
operation as it was during the 1960s. Interpreters from the local area tell the
story of the site. Talking to them provides the opportunity to learn about the
fishery of the past, the present and to discuss the fishery of the future.