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Famous Chemainus

If you’re considering a move to the wonderful Warm Land, you might consider the charming community of Chemainus, British Columbia.

More than a quarter of a million visitors a year flock to this little picturesque seaside town.

They follow painted yellow footprints throughout the streets, on a self-guided tour of more than 40 outdoor murals and 13 sculptures depicting the local history of the First Nations and early Pioneers.

They attend performing arts events at the Chemainus Theatre Festival, housed in an iconic domed-roof building that presides over the town’s skyline like a benevolent sentinel.

And they embrace the joyful silence of the briny deeps, scuba diving in and around an artificial reef that was created in local waters when a Boeing 737 airplane was (deliberately) sunk to its final rest.

And that’s just for starters!

The town’s quaint core is lined with art galleries, antique malls, gift shops and cappuccino bars – along with old-fashioned ice cream parlours and candy stores! A horse-drawn trolley and a simulated steam train will allow you to take in the sights at a leisurely pace.

Waterwheel Park is a popular place to picnic, and offers a playground where children can climb in a tall ship and paddle a canoe. And for even more adventure, a passenger-only ferry can float you over to Thetis Island and Kuper Island, just across the Stuart Channel.

The Chemainus Theatre Festival offers year-round professional musical theatre and comedy, along with a gallery showcase for BC artists and artisans. There are several original mill houses along Chemainus Road, as well as historic character homes in the Old Town.

Chemainus is a serene, artistic-leaning town of about 4,000 that has fairly temperate weather, allowing for an abundance of year-round recreational pursuits. The residents are friendly (they call themselves “Chemainiacs”), there are excellent schools in the area, and there is ALWAYS something to do.

Nestled amid water, forest and mountain, Chemainus is an art lover and nature lover’s paradise!

For more information on “the little Town that Could”, please visit:

www.chemainus.com

www.muraltown.com

www.tourismchemainus.com

Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley is known as “the Warm Land”, a name given to it by the First Nations Coast Salish, who named the area Quw’utsun’ or Cowichan, meaning ‘land warmed by the sun.’

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