While on Vancouver Island, I had the chance to visit Chemainus. Chemainus is a former logging town which started in 1858. By 1863, a saw mill was built and forestry became the major industry. Migrant workers from China came to work in the mills and help to mill the wood to be shipped worldwide by boat.
The town thrived successfully until the forestry resources started to wane and eventually the town was at risk of becoming an abandoned ghost town. In the early 1980s, the town received a government grant to revitalize the downtown core, which it did, using art as a way of telling the story of Chemainus. Today, the town is a popular tourist destination and well known for its 53 murals.
A visit to Chemainus provides a wonderful glimpse into this once thriving logging town.
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