"FULL OF SURPRISES" Top 5 Page for this destination Chemainus by balhannah

Chemainus, is located on Vancouver Island's east shore.

This is a little town, snuggled in between a mountain range and the ocean, one that I fell in love with!

To me, it was so interesting, so beautiful, with all the little quaint, freshly painted homes and buildings.

Throw in the Murals and Sculptures, plus nice parks, ........
the lovely village area full of interesting shops, .............
this was one of our best times on Vancouver Island.

Chemainus is located 1 hour north of Victoria (80 kilometers), or 1/2 hour south of Nanaimo

Chemainus, is a town full of spirit and determination.

When natural resources were running out, times were hard and it looked like Chemainus may become a ghost town, it was decided a new vision was needed for the future, to help the town survive.

Idea's were thrown around and the idea of giant outdoor wall murals was decided upon to help put Chemainus back on the map, and to help bring money back into the town once again.

Tourism, they thought, would be the answer.

Well, as they say "THE REST IS HISTORY!" as the plan worked,

and .............

Chemainus became known as 'THE LITTLE TOWN THAT DID"

Since then, other Town's around the World have followed suit, and Mural's have pulled many a town out of the doldrum's.

Today, the estimation is that between 350,000 and 400,000 visitors visit each year.

Many stay overnight at one of the many bed and breakfast accommodations, and Vancouver Island tour companies almost always include Chemainus as one of their stops, with sometimes 25 buses in a given day.

Good on Chemainus!

To date, more than $300,000 has been invested in the Chemainus mural project.

Lots of Artist's have called Chemainus home, and older people began to retire there.

Chemainus of today, has a population of 4,000 and includes cafes, restaurants, gift shops, antique stores, and arts and crafts galleries.

70 new businesses settled in the first 15 years of Chemainus’ redevelopment.

• Pros:Plenty of interest to keep you entertained
• Cons:.....................
• In a nutshell:A very pretty little town, full of character!