Chemainus – Mural Town, Vancouver Island

Chemainus, a tiny coast community of approximately 550, is located on Vancouver Island’s east shore between a mountain and the ocean. Having a declining resource centered economic climate in the earlier eighties, the township made the decision to create huge exterior paintings to be able to rejuvenate the town and also increase tourism in the area. This particular strategy worked & Chemainus gained the moniker, “the little town that did.”

Arts and Culture

In 1982, the very first 5 exterior murals were painted and now you will find over 35 murals and 11 sculptures. Interesting ways in order to observe the murals include by trolley as well as horse-drawn carriage! During the final weekend in June, the annual summer long Festival of Murals starts; take pleasure in outdoor theater, puppetry, clowns, food booths, street performances, folk dance and arts & crafts demonstrations.

In the Chemainus Theater, the professional regional theater company performs timeless classics, musicals, comedies and modern day favorites. The Chemainus Valley Museum is open year-round and is an interesting spot to visit.

In case you get pleasure from leisurely store shopping, go hunting for antiques and collectibles. There are in addition plenty of gift stores as well as artwork galleries which display ceramics, crafts and Native art.

Outdoor Adventure

Several of the numerous outdoor activities in Chemainus comprise: fishing and swimming in Fuller Lake Park, picnicking in gorgeous Waterwheel Park and unwinding at Clark Beach or Kin Beach.

You may well additionally want to check out the close by Somenos Marsh Wildlife Refuge near Duncan, which is a component of the Pacific Coast flyway. Stroll around the boardwalk and pause at the watching platform to discover if you will be able to spot some of the more than two hundred species of wild birds that have already been identified at the marsh.

Getting to Chemainus

Chemainus is located south of Nanaimo and a one-hour drive north of Victoria, Vancouver Island on the Trans-Canada Highway.
• By Automobile: Drive on Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway) and look for the well-marked signs.
• By Train: VIA Rail travels between Victoria and Courtenay.
• By Bus: Bus lines operate between Victoria and Nanaimo.

Be sure to visit British Columbia’s stunning Gulf Islands as well when you are in the area.