Chemainus: Murals, Theatre and Nature

Get to know Chemainus through art throughout the town, theatre and trails in nature. The town has more than 60 art installations, including murals on buildings and sculptures throughout the community. This number may grow as new works are added. A map on muraltown.com lets you take a self-guided tour of the murals; check whether the map is available before making your plans.

Murals, Museum and Stage

The Chemainus Museum is located in the centre of Chemainus, in Waterwheel Park. It is operated by the Chemainus Valley Historical Society. The park also has an outdoor stage, which serves as a venue for summer concerts, special events and community celebrations.

The Chemainus Theatre Festival is a professional theatre offering performances year-round. This makes both public art throughout the town and stage performances central to Chemainus. The theatre offers special meal-and-performance packages through its Playbill Dining Room. If you plan to take advantage of this offer, check the dining and performance options before booking.

Trails and Outdoor Activities

For walks and nature watching, Askew Creek Park offers several options: the 3.4-hectare park is wooded and includes a wilderness trail. Its 8 km of walking trails are ideal for hiking, walking, picnicking or birdwatching. The Chemainus River Estuary Trail offers a different experience: this quiet, popular trail is 2.7 km long and features views of the river, lush forests and wetlands.

The section of the Trans Canada Trail in Chemainus is about 7 km round trip, well maintained and flat. It is suitable for walking, running and cycling. You can take the trail length and the listed activities into account when planning. Chemainus Lake Park also has a 2.4 km loop trail just off River Road, as well as a small fishing dock.

There are also different ways to enjoy the water: you can launch kayaks or stand-up paddleboards from Chemainus’s pebbly shoreline. At Kin Beach, you can beachcomb and splash around in the refreshing water. These options add time on the coast to trails through parks and along the river and wetlands.

Market and Connections

The Chemainus Wednesday Market is a seasonal market held on Wednesdays from May to September, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Vendors include people selling goods they have made, baked and grown, including fresh produce. Check the market dates if you are planning a visit for a particular Wednesday.

The Cowichan Valley Trail passes through Chemainus and connects the town to Ladysmith in the north and Duncan in the south. BC Ferries offers ferry connections from Chemainus to Thetis and Penelakut Islands. As schedules can change, check them before making your plans. This makes it easy to plan walks in Chemainus, a market visit or an island connection depending on the focus of your stay.

Discover more destinations: Honeymoon Bay, Youbou, Shawnigan Lake, Malahat, Ladysmith, Cobble Hill, Cowichan Bay, Mill Bay.

Back to the main travel overview: Cowichan Valley.