Chemainus, Vancouver Island
Sunday, September 26th, 2010Chemainus, a small seaside community of around 550, is located on Vancouver Island’s east coast in between a mountain and also the sea. Having a declining resource centered economic climate in the earlier 80s, the town made the decision to develop large outdoor murals to revitalize the community and also increase tourism in the area. This particular technique did wonders & Chemainus earned the nickname, “the little town that did.”
Arts and Traditions
In 1982, the initial five outdoor murals were painted & at present you will discover more than thirty-five murals & eleven sculptures. Fascinating approaches in order to see the murals include by trolley in addition to horse-drawn buggy! During the final weekend in June, the yearly summer-long Festival of Murals begins; take pleasure in outside theatre, puppetry, clowning, food booths, street performances, folk dance and arts and crafts demonstrations.
In the Chemainus Theater, the professional regional theater company performs classics, musicals, comedy along with modern day favorites. The Chemainus Region Museum is available year-round and is an interesting place to visit.
In the event you get pleasure from leisurely store shopping, go hunting for antiques and collectibles. There are additionally a lot of gift shops as well as fine art galleries that show pottery, crafts and First Nations art.
Outdoor Adventure
Several of the numerous outside adventures in Chemainus comprise: angling and swimming in Fuller Lake Park, picnicking in gorgeous Waterwheel Park and relaxing at Clark Beach or Kin Beach.
You may also want to check out the close by Somenos Marsh Wildlife Refuge in close proximity to Duncan, which is part of the Pacific Coast flyway. Wander along the boardwalk and pause at the viewing platform to discover if you are able to spot some of the over two hundred species of birds which have already been discovered at the marsh.
Travelling to Chemainus
Chemainus is found south of Nanaimo and a 1 hour drive north of Victoria, Vancouver Island on the Trans-Canada Highway.
• By Car: 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: Coach lines operate between Victoria and Nanaimo.
Be sure to visit British Columbia’s beautiful Gulf Islands as well when you are in the area.