Located 80 km west of St. John’s, Brigus is rich in its history, beauty and culture. The community dates back to the 1600s and by the late 1700s was the most prosperous and progressive maritime settlement in Conception Bay. Commercial life centered on fishing and sealing and the community had a large sailing fleet, fish stores, blacksmith shops and shipbuilding facilities. Landfall was known as Freshwater where vessels took on drinking water from its two streams.

With a population of about 2000 by the late 1800s, today it stands at about 900 permanent residents. This population swells in the summer time as Brigus is a favorite summer home for many from St. John’s and other Canadian and American locations.