| CHEMAINUS is the "Little Town That Did", as the billboards for miles
around never stop telling you. Its mysterious achievement was the
creation of its own tourist attraction, realized when the closure of the
local sawmill - once amongst the world's largest - threatened the place
with almost overnight extinction. In 1983 the town's worthies
commissioned an artist to paint a huge mural - Steam Donkey at Work -
recording the area's local history. This proved so successful that some
40 panels quickly followed, drawing some 300,000 visitors annually to
admire the artwork and tempting them to spend money in local businesses
as they did. As murals go, these are surprisingly good, and if you're
driving it's worth the short, well-signed diversion off Hwy 1. You might
also want to drop in on the Chemainus Valley Museum , 9799 Waterwheel
Crescent (March-May & Nov-Dec Wed-Sun 10am-3pm; June-Oct daily 10am-6pm;
donation), a community-run museum of local history with displays on
logging, mills and pioneer life. Ironically enough, a new sawmill has
now opened, though this has done nothing to deter the welcome influx of
resident painters and craftspeople attracted by the murals, a knock-on
effect that has done much to enliven the village's pleasant community
feel.
Buses also detour here on the run up to Nanaimo (tel 246-3354 for
details), and the train drops you slap-bang next to a mural. You can
also pick up a ferry from Chemainus to the small islands of Kuper and
Thetis (both $5 for foot passengers, $12.75 for cars). There's a summer-only
infocentre in town at 9796 Willow St (May to early Sept daily 9am-6pm;
tel 246-3251, www.tourism.chemainus.bc.ca ). If you fancy staying - the
village's cosy waterside setting is nicer than either Duncan or Nanaimo
- it's worth booking ahead, as the village's increasing popularity means
the local hotel and half a dozen or so B&Bs are in heavy demand in
summer. For motel accommodation, try the Fuller Lake Chemainus Motel ,
9300 Trans-Canada Hwy (tel 246-3282 or 1-888/246-3255; $60-80). The best
B&B is the pretty Bird Song Cottage , 9909 Maple St (tel 246-9910,
birdsong@island.net ; $100-125). There's also a tiny youth hostel at
3040 Henry Rd (tel 246-4407; up to $40), about 2km north of town off the
Ladysmith road (they can pick you up from the village); there's a
kitchen and showers, but you're supposed to bring your own sleeping bag.
The choice of campsites is between the Chemainus Gardens RV Park , 3042
River Rd, 1km east of Hwy 1, set in 37 acres of natural forest with
separate tenting area, laundry and showers (tel 246-3569 or
1-800/341-5060; $15-25), or the larger Country Maples Campground , 9010
Trans-Canada Hwy (tel 246-2078; $21-29; April-Oct) in sixty acres of
open and treed parkland 16km north of Duncan above the Chemainus River
with showers, laundry and pool. About 5km south of the village on the
river is the quiet Bald Eagle Campsite , 8705 Chemainus Rd (tel
246-9457; $16-20). All manner of dinky little cafés, shops and tearooms
are springing up across the village: for food , try the Upstairs
Downstairs Café , 9745 Willow St, with cheap, varied dishes including
several good vegetarian options, or the Waterford Inn & Restaurant ,
five minutes north of the village centre at 9875 Maple St (tel
246-1046).
|
