The best times to visit Chemainus would be in the warm season, from mid-June to mid-September, when you can expect average highs from the high 60s to mid-70s. With many outdoor activities taking place, the popularity of these months will drive up hotel prices, so book early for a chance to save.
You can benefit from slightly cheaper rates if you travel closer to the beginning of June or the end of September when highs will be in the mid-60s. Rates will be at their lowest during the cool season, from mid-November to early March, when you can expect highs in the 40s. This is not a popular time for warm-weather tourists.
Best Western Plus Chemainus Inn offers government/military, senior, and AAA discounts. In the heart of Chemainus, this golf hotel is next to Mount Brenton Golf Course and a short walk from the Chemainus Theatre. Your room will have a refrigerator, flat-screen television, coffee/tea maker, free Wi-Fi, and a deep soaking bathtub. Suites have large windows with sweeping views and provide amenities such as hot tubs. The hotel offers an indoor pool, spa tub, and fitness center. Free breakfast is served each morning. Business travelers will appreciate the 24-hour business center, meeting room, and coffee and tea in common areas.
Ramada by Wyndham Duncan Cowichan Valley in Duncan offers discounts to seniors, AAA members, government employees, and members of the military. Your room will have a refrigerator, microwave, LCD television, desk, and free Wi-Fi. Dine at The Old Fork or River Rock Bar & Grill, or get room service during limited hours. You can also get a drink at the hotel bar/lounge. Cooked-to-order breakfasts are available for a fee. The hotel offers a computer station, a 24-hour business center, and fitness facilities.
Ramada by Wyndham Nanaimo is a four-minute drive from Departure Bay Ferry Terminal and just a few blocks from Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park. Rooms feature microwaves, refrigerators, flat-screen televisions, desks, and free wired and wireless internet access. Upgrade to a suite for extra space and amenities such as a hot tub. The hotel offers a complimentary continental breakfast, business center, and dry cleaning/laundry services.
The Best Western Dorchester Hotel in downtown Nanaimo is near the Nanaimo Harbour and the Nanaimo Museum. The boutique hotel offers spectacular views. Rooms have flat-screen televisions, desks, free Wi-Fi, and Keurig coffee makers with free coffee and tea. You can dine at Roman's European Cuisine or get a drink at the Oasis Lounge & Bar. The hotel provides a business center, meeting facilities, and free newspapers.
Many visitors to Chemainus come for the arts, particularly the Chemainus Murals, but in 1982, the community had just five murals — and enough determination to earn the nickname The Little Town That Did. The next year, it won the New York Downtown Revitalization Award for redevelopment that included a huge expansion of the murals. Today, Chemainus has more than 40 murals in the famed Historical Series, as well as newer murals in the Emily Carr Series and Community Mural Series, accompanied by more than 10 sculptures.
The most famous mural, "Native Heritage" by Paul Ygartua, is where many visitors stop first. It features compelling images of First Nations faces. Ygartua restored the painting in 2014. "The Lone Scout" features Edward Shige Yoshida, who was raised in Chemainus and started the 2nd Chemainus Boy Scouts, an all-Japanese Canadian scout troop. The mural was painted by Stanley Hiromichi Taniwa, a Japanese Canadian who was a baby when he was taken from Chemainus to an internment camp during World War II.
Cin MacDonald painted seven of the murals — three each in the Historical Series and the Emily Carr series, and one in the Community Mural Series. She was born in Scotland but moved to Victoria as a child and later moved to Crofton. Dan Sawatzky painted five of the historical murals, the first in 1983, after which he lived in Chemainus for 18 years.
You can view these and other murals by following footprints on a self-guided tour, going on a trolley for a heritage tour, or taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. The Chemainus Visitors Center will give you a map and background on the murals. You might even like to try all three methods. You'll find shops, restaurants, galleries, and more along the way.
Chemainus has many painters, sculptors, fiber artists, photographers, jewelry makers, and writers. A number of galleries featuring local and regional art are in the community and the surrounding area. You can see professional theater at theChemainusTheatre, which offers the Playbill Dining Room and the Gallery Gift Shop featuring artists from British Columbia. Check out a play or a musical, or make a night of it with a dinner theater production.
First Nations culture and heritage is an important focus in Chemainus and the surrounding area. Three tribes are in the Chemainus area: the Stz'uminus, the Penelakut, and the Halalt. The Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre in Duncan celebrates the area's First Nations people and their history. You can view wood carvers and painters working on canoes and totem poles, as well as smaller works. Traditional Cowichan sweater displays are on hand, and you can see women knitting the renowned sweaters. The facility has a gift shop.
The Chemainus Valley Museum in Waterwheel Park has many local and area artifacts on display. For a unique twist, drive to Cowichan Bay to see the Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre, a marine museum on a pier that extends into the bay. The exhibits are housed in buildings along their pier to foster a sense of connection to the sea.
Opportunities to experience art, culture, history, water activities, sightseeing, and more abound in Chemainus, The Little City That Did. You'll develop fond memories of visiting this charming little town. Be sure to interact with friendly villagers in the shops and on the sidewalks as you take in Chemainus' famous murals. You may hear some great stories.
Below are reviews of the city of Chemainus, BC from an actual visitor's perspective.
Murals
We were happy to be close to the Crofton Ferry... great for day tripping to Salt Spring.
Like going back in time!