A sense of place in every piece.
When our only sustenance came from the seas that surround us, boats were crucial to survival. From Fogo to Ferryland, and from Heart’s Content to Hopedale, Newfoundlanders struggled to fashion their own from whatever materials they could find. In the process, wooden boatbuilding became a cherished family tradition, and gave birth to an entire legacy of cultural emblems. It is the mission of the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador to preserve that tradition and its emblems, which offer a fascinating glimpse into the unique places in which they were built, and the generations of Newfoundlanders who built them.
“You keep songs alive, stories alive. Why not keep boats alive? That’s what got us here and kept us here for a long time.”