The Charm of Chemainus



Beautiful Murals are found throughout the town of Chemainus

From Ladysmith we continued a few miles south to our next stop, Chemainus, a tourist town known for its large murals painted on the sides of many buildings by professional artists.  The murals are taken from historic photographs and research of Chemainus' past history.  

Horse-drawn carriage tour of the Murals in Chemainus

For a self-guided tour, you simply follow the yellow foot-prints on the sidewalks, or you can ride in a horse-drawn carriage through the streets with a driver who provides background for some of the 46 murals and 10 sculptures throughout downtown.  

Chemainus Mural depicting the earlier Asian population

People come from all over the world to see these exquisite works of art.  

Alleyways and cafes' tucked around downtown Chemainus

The streets of Chemainus are equally intriguing with potted flowers, lawns, and alleyways leading to public spaces and delightful cafes.  The beautiful Chemainus Theatre is also a draw providing stage performances from notable actors.  

Performing Arts Theatre at Chemainus

Chemainus has definitely invented itself as a tourist town, a big change from its early beginnings as a logging community in 1858.  In the 1980’s, British Columbia’s forest industry experienced a period of deep recession.  The forest industry as well as the town had to re-invent itself.  The local sawmill (owned by Macmillan Bloedel Company) was overhauled with automated, state-of the-art machinery providing flexibility to produce a wider range of products.  

There are numerous cute shops in Chemainus to enjoy

The town also began its tourist industry with the help of local citizens and businesses.  Both the logging industry and the tourist industry is thriving at Chemainus.  

Mural depicting people of the Stz'uminus First Nation

The name Chemainus comes from the Native shaman and profit “Tsa-meeun-is” of the Stz’uminus First Nation.  Thousands of visitors are drawn to this unique town; as boaters, it seems a shame that the Municipal Docks have not been significantly expanded to accommodate more boats.  

Perhaps enlarging the marina facilities will become another project for Chemainus sometime in the near future.  We found the docks to be full when we arrived but found a mooring ball among the eight mooring buoys located just northwest of the marina (north of the park and launch ramp).  

Municipal Docks at Chemainus

Mooring balls are ten dollars per night and provide the option to take the dinghy into the Municipal Docks and see the town.  We think the charms of Chemainus shouldn’t be passed by.