The Martlet

An Asian man stands in the middle of main street with a neon fanny pack clipped to his waist and various bag straps zigzagging across his body. Sweat seeps into his shirt. He adjusts his handicam to get his wife and daughter into focus. The mural they’re posing in front of is a montage of historical buildings and events.

They wave and pose while he stands in the street, oblivious to the growing line of cars behind him. He’s blocking the main road and, even though it’s not major, the line of trucks and sedans is steadily building. But none of the cars honk or become aggressive, because, in Chemainus, the tourist is king.

The town

Chemainus came to tourism out of desperation. In the early ‘80s, the sawmill that had supported the economy was shut down and, rather than allow the town to wither, a committee of business owners secured a redevelopment grant from the provincial government to commission historical murals.

European and Asian immigrants, as well as First Nations peoples, are depicted working and living with Chemainus’ founding industries and families — all became fodder for Chemainus’ 20-foot-high tourist facades.

Every store within eyeshot of downtown has Canadian memorabilia: from plush beavers and maple syrup to mural key-chains, mugs and t-shirts. Horse-drawn carriages and a tractor-drawn cart share the roadside near downtown’s Waterwheel Park, and from here you can get tours of the town’s murals.

The tractor, loosely disguised with plywood and paint as a steam engine, drives people along the mural routes. For the faint of heart, carriages will provide the same service. Residents here must be fond of the rattle of the tractor and clip-clop, clip-clop of the horses, or they would flee.

A one-room museum hides in plain view. The local joke is that it’s so small it might be mistaken for a large shed, if someone wasn’t looking for it.

But what has all this left for the residents?

The treats

A theatre has recently sprung up in town and, while it does attract tourists, it’s largely a local event with great performances at reasonable prices.

Theatre productions continue throughout the year and the company has enriched the community with its mandate to cultivate arts. The building is hard to miss. Many signs direct tourists to it, and it’s quite possibly the largest building in Chemainus, complete with a dome-style roof.

The Hermit Trails are Chemainus’ real hidden wonder, though.

In the 1970s, a man named Charlie Abbot moved into Chemainus’ surrounding forest and lived there until his death in 1989, at the age of 87. Abbot created acres of garden: paths and steps, planted wild flowers — a paradise beneath the copious maples and firs.

Since his death, the gardens have been preserved and spectators can still see it, if you know where to look. The tourism office across the street can probably direct those interested, though it’s more fun to explore for yourself.

The trails are north of the Chemainus Road and Elm Street intersection. Follow Elm Street past St. Joseph’s Elementary and park near the baseball diamond. There’s a gravel path that leads past the diamond. Where the path bends 90 degrees, there’s a rickety wooden fence and a turnstile — that’s the start of the trails. The trails aren’t marked, so be careful.

Despite these attractions, however, one might wonder if the shiny veneer of tourism in Chemainus has left “the Little Town that Did” with little substance.

But, for all its flaws, this corny little town is still a place to get away — and it’s only an hour’s bus-ride away.

This summer, when money’s tight and you need a change of scenery, try Chemainus.

Just don’t get stuck on the murals.