May 23rd - Chemainus

We rounded "Turn Point Lighthouse" built in 1893 on Stuart Island and headed for Pender Island to check into Canadian Customs for our six month cruising permit.

After clearing customs we headed for Chemainus on Vancouver Island. The name "Chemainus" comes from the native shaman and prophet "Tsa-meeun-is" (Broken Chest). Legend says that the man survived a massive wound in his chest to become a powerful chief. His people took his name. In 1858 settlers arrived and founded a logging town and a railroad was soon to follow.




On the dock we ran into an old aquaintence "Thomas Taylor the Poet" aboard his beautifully restored "Seeker of Truth" a 1913 Norwegian motor-sailor. Found on the hard behind a barn she had to have several planks replaced because of drying out.

How could one forget a sailor that has a picture of his boat tatooed on his chest and back!

Seventh Heaven and Seeker of Truth are dock mates.

As we venture downtown Chemainus we begin to see one of 39 murals that have made the charming town famous.

This is a striking mural in honor of the area's First Nations Naut’sa mawt Tribe of which the Chemainus People or "Tsa-meeun-is" are members of.

There is also a rich Asian history here. Mining, fishing and forestry were the original industries that gave work to many Chinese who worked in "bull gangs" struggling to move huge lumber planks to the ships in the late 1800's, and who arrived to work on the trans Canada Railroad later.

Scottish and German settlers looking for riches in the mines and staying to work in the forests and on fishing boats brought diversity of cultures into the area.

Modern conveniences arrived with the success of the economy.

Chemainus re-invented itself with the decline of logging, fishing and mining into a charming tourist destination. It became "The Little Town that Did" and has a popular and quite famous Live Dinner Theater that both boaters and travelers enjoy.

Another unusual fact about the area is On January 13, 2006, a Boeing 737 aircraft was sunk off the coast in order to build an artificial reef for fish and other sea creatures including divers. The sinking was documented in "Sinking Wings", an episode of the Discovery Channel.