Far Far From Home

But not as far as you'd think. On a recent trip up island we stopped along the road in Chemainus where these lovely statues reside. I can't be sure but I think the Buddha likes a little attention from a pretty girl! - Fern

Chemainus Murals

Last week we made some posts about our recent day trip to Chemainus. One of the main reasons for that trip was to see the "World Famous Murals". Fern posted one picture of a mural and here are a few more. They really are very striking and the town boasts nearly 40 of these immense paintings. Most deal with the early history of the area and focus on logging. Others, such as the one above pay tribute the the earliest residents of the area, the Chemainus First Nation. I also enjoyed the way that murals have become a part of even the fast food purveyors storefronts such as Subway.

Chemainus 2

This is a rather impressive statue of H.R. MacMillan (1885-1967) overlooking the waterfront area of Chemainus. The logging industry is a huge part of BC's history and this man was instrumental in the building of that industry. There is also a large mural with a nice portrait of him (on the right) with J.A. Hummingbird. There were so many fantastic murals, in so many styles, that it really was fascinating. - Fern

Chemainus 1

After our arrival at Mill Bay on the Ferry from Brentwood our first stop was at Chemainus. Chemainus was originally founded and thrived for many years as a logging and mill town. When the mill closed and the town was faced with extinction the residents decided to save it by converting it into a place that tourists might like to visit. They did this by decorating the town's buildings with a large number (39) of murals depicting aspects of the area's history. Chemainus is now a very attractive town with lots of things to do and see. We'll have a look at some over the next few days. Today's photo above is a wood relief of an early logging machine called a donkey spool that was used to haul logs from where they were felled to where they could be transported. Click here to visit an interesting site about early logging, donkey spools and to find out where the term "skid road" came from.

The Chemainus River

This lovely spot is north of Victoria, outside of Chemainus, at Bald Eagle Campground. -Fern Long