“The Little Town that Did!” Chemainus, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Mural #12 – Native Heritage – Chemainus First Nations
Named for a legendary chief, the town of Chemainus, in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island‘s east coast, has a rich First Nation cultural heritage.
Painted in 1983 by Paul Ygartua, Vancouver, B.C.

Tourist Transport
Tour operators take visitors around the murals by horse-drawn carriage or by small steam train. During high season, locals dress in period costume to enhance the visitor experience.

Mural #11 – Temporary Homes
Even chains get the local treatment!
Painted in 1983 by David White, Nassau, Bahamas

Mural #18 – Julia Askew – first child of European ancestry born in Chemainus (February 22, 1871)
An old school house gets a new treatment as a boutique fashion store.
Painted in 1986 by Elizabeth Smily, West Vancouver

Mural #31 – 10th Anniversary Mural – The Lumber Barons
JA Humbird (left), mill manager from 1924 and HR MacMillan (right), who bought the mill in 1944.
Painted in 1992 by Constance Greig-Manning, assisted by Bill Manning, Kenilworth, Ontario (now residing in Chemainus).

Mural #36 – The Hermit
Every laneway holds history… This one tells the story of Charlie Abbott, a long-time Chemainus character, who wandered into town in the 1970s and created a garden of paths and trails in the forest nearby. The Hermit Trails are now popular walking paths.
Painted by Paul Ygartua (Vancouver BC) in 2004.

Trinkets for Sale
Local shops attempt to benefit from the influx of tourists ~ selling a range of trinkets.

Old-Timers on a Bench
Not all of Chemainus’ art-works are murals – a number of sculptures are installed around town.

Mural #22 – Leonora Mines at Mt. Sicker (right panel)
Copper was mined at Mt. Sicker from May, 1897 to November, 1908. Today, virtually nothing remains of the once-thriving community.
Painted in 1988 (with additions in 2001) by Peter Bresnen, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Mural #13 – Billy Thomas
William Ishmael (Billy) Thomas, was the first male child of European ancestry born (1874) in the Chemainus Valley. He lived there for all of his 102 years.
Painted in 1984 by Sandy Clark, Victoria, BC

Rope Master
Bits of old machinery grace the flowerbeds around town.

Mural #34 – Letters from the Front – Chemainus Post Office
“The painting features Lieutenant General Arthur Currie, commander at Vimy Ridge, as well as a portrait of Edmund J. Palmer, the local postmaster and mill manager, in addition to figures that illustrate the ordinary men and women who suffered through those years at home and on the front, and linked by the mail.”
Painted in 2002 by David Goatley, Victoria, BC

Mural #32 – The Telephone Company Circa 1915
“These were the two gals who were the local operators for the telephone company…in a time when most residents did not have a telephone in their home. The bike was used to sprint throughout the town in search of John Doe who was wanted on the phone. That gives a whole new meaning to the ‘mobile phone’ business.”
Painted in 1992 by Cim MacDonald, Chemainus, B.C.

Mural #1 – Steam Donkey
Hauling logs out of the forest was a difficult and dangerous task. This steam donkey started work in Chemainus in 1885.
Painted in 1982 by Frank Lewis and Nancy Lagana, Victoria, B.C, based on a 1902 photograph.

Mural #35 – 20th Anniversary Mural – First Chemainus Sawmill 1862 – Waterwheel Crescent
This waterwheel is a replica of those that powered the early mills. Originally part of the grounds of the mill manager’s house, Waterwheel Park is now open to the public and includes a children’s playground.
Painted in 2003 by Sylvia Verity Dewar, Chemainus, BC, with construction assistance from her husband Russ Dewar.

Mural #7 – Logging With Oxen
In the 1890s, oxen were one of the main forms of “power” in logging.
Painted in 1983 by Harold Lyon, Fountain Hills, Arizona

Mural #28 – No. 3 Climax Engine
This little steam engine, painted on the side of what was an artist’s studio, hauled logs out of the Chemainus Valley in the late 1880s.
Painted in 1991 by Dan Sawatzky, Chemainus, (now Chilliwack, BC).

Mural #26 – Chemainus – The War Years – Circa 1915 (detail)
Farmers watch as soldiers go off to war. By the end of 1915, over fifteen percent of the local population had gone to fight – many never returned.
Painted in 1989 by Susan Tooke Crichton, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Mural #19, “Mill Street in 1948”,
Old shops and buildings lead down old Mill Street to the wharfs on Chemainus Harbour.
Painted in 1986 by Mike Svob, Coquitlam B.C

Doll on the Stoop
An old “character” welcomes us to one of many coffee shops.

Mural #3 – Steam Train On Bridge Over Chemainus River
Locomotive No. 4 steams across a log bridge over the Chemainus River.
Painted in 1982 by Paul Marcano, Victoria, B.C. (now Chilliwack)