Chemainus is a small town on the east coast of Vancouver Island, about an hour's drive north of Victoria. When the local sawmill closed in 1983, the town reinvented itself by commissioning large-scale murals on its buildings — there are now over 50, and a self-guided walking tour takes you past scenes of the town's logging and First Nations history.
Beyond the murals, Chemainus has a walkable centre with independent shops, cafes, and a dinner theatre. The waterfront looks out across Stuart Channel toward the Gulf Islands, and the small harbour still has working fishing boats alongside the tourist traffic.