Chemainus

Chemainus lived on its sawmill, and when the mill wound down in the early 1980s the town faced emptying out. A downtown revitalisation committee commissioned five outdoor murals in 1982 as a long shot; the idea worked, more followed, and there are now around fifty murals and a dozen sculptures across the buildings, painted by artists from several countries and showing logging, steam locomotives, First Nations portraits and the Chinese and Japanese communities who worked here. Yellow footprints painted on the pavement mark the walking route. The town became a case study in mural-led tourism and other towns copied it. A small theatre runs a full season.

What you actually see

• The mural walk - about fifty painted walls following yellow footprints.
• The logging history - steam donkeys and mill scenes across several buildings.
• The community portraits - First Nations, Chinese and Japanese subjects.
• The theatre - a professional house running through the year.

When to go

May to September for the walk in dry weather; the murals are outdoors and open always. Coach tours arrive mid-morning. Some older murals are faded or under restoration.

Honest expectations

Quality varies a good deal between murals, and the earliest are weathered. The town centre is small and commercial. Rain makes the outdoor route unpleasant.

Nearby

Duncan lies south; Nanaimo is north.