Craft at Risk: Make a Birch Broom

Have you ever been told your hair looks like a birch broom in the fits?

Join father-daughter duo, Richard and Michelle Park to make your own mini birch broom! Birch broom making, the process of “running” a broom from one continuous piece of birch, was listed as Endangered in the 2024 Craft at Risk List.

Cost: $40 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. All materials included. Register online!

About the presenters:
Richard Park is a retired teacher who was first exposed to the birch broom in 1957 while teaching in the community of Fox Roost-Margaree. Later in 1979 in Francois, he learned the skills to make birch brooms from a fisherman in the community. He has been making birch brooms since, including many as gifts.

Michelle Park is a retired history teacher with an interest in local history and folklore. Since the age of 10 she has watched her father make birch brooms as gifts for family and friends, as well as for the family’s own use. Michelle worked with Richard as part of Heritage NL’s Mentor-Apprentice Program. The pair also offered a Build Your Own Birch Broom (BYOBB) program at the Gillams Historical Society Museum on Wednesdays in August of 2022.

Presented in partnership with Heritage NL.

You may also like the following events from The Rooms:

• This Tuesday, 30th September, 12:00 pm, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in St. John's
• This Wednesday, 1st October, 10:30 am, Seniors Stroll at The Rooms in St. John's
• This Wednesday, 1st October, 02:00 pm, Drawing from Our Collections in St. John's