Chemainus, ‘the little town that could’, best known for its’ amazing wall murals and year-round Chemainus Theatre Festival, has also emerged as one of Vancouver Island’s delightful boutique towns.

Some of the town’s more popular stores specialize in original art, antiques, locally designed women’s clothing, giftware, and coffee and desserts, desserts and more desserts. For example, for baked goods you can pop into the  Chemainus Bakery for apple fritters; if you prefer a more European style you can swing over to Utopia Bakery and select from a great variety of fresh breads and Almond Tarts; and the Muffin Mill is, of course, your best bet for muffins 

If you can’t resist freshly baked fudge or hand made chocolates then Caravaggio’s is not to be missed; Hansel & Gretel harkens back to a more old fashioned time when the local candy store ‘sold its wares by the weight’; and you might want to cap the day off with a trip to Billy’s Delight & Ice Cream parlor just to make sure you’ve tasted all forms of sweetness available in this very sweet town.

Willow Street  

Throughout the compact ‘main shopping drag’, which is located in and about Willow Street, you will find antique stores, fashion outlets, art galleries, gift shops and in and about the stores are restaurants and cafes for a relaxed and refreshing atmosphere.  Below you will find a sampling of the shopping fun to be had in Chemainus (some on ‘the main drag’ and some in ‘the charming little out of the way’ places).

Outdoor  Market

Summer months bring an outdoor market in downtown Chemainus on Wednesdays

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Art Galleries

The Pottery Shop

•Jane Wolters; high fire reduction pottery

•Turning Point Arts; Brad Grigor, digital artist; Peggy Grigor, potter, dramatic crystalling glazes

•Glimpses in Time, Water Colour, Martina Zuidema

•Rhythms Artglass; Claude Duperron; Linda Westrom

•The Gallery at the Chemainus Theatre

          •Sheryl Sawchuk Studio Gallery

Fashion

•Itzyu Designs Natural Fibre Clothing, eco-friendly, locally manufactured line of men and womens clothing, much of it designed by owner Nicki Gurr, and made of linen, hemp, bamboo and cotton

•Degage Fashion Ltd.; hand-washable women’s clothing designed by company owner Sherri Dusseault at her own Vancouver island local factory 

The Kinney Clothing Co.; namebrand fashion, housed in a former bowling alley where you actually shop in the bowling lanes

Antiques

•Willow Antique Mail; there’s a communal artisan space  of 20 artistsat the Willow Antique Mall

•Royal Dalton; figurines, rare books, vintage glassware, jewelry

•The Highway Antique Emporium; the size of a barn, this is a vintage mega-store

•Ladysmith’s; also a quite substantially sized Antique Mall, for collectors of all varieties

Pampering and Indulging the Senses

•Vancouver Island Soap Factory; has its own line of Chemainus made Kogi Naturals beauty products

•Willow Street Soaps; fine imported soaps and luxurious bath items

•The Flowering Tree Natural Spa; full spa services using organic skin care products – heavenly

•The Urban Legend; Spa services and hairstyling

Café and Tea Emporiums

•Twisted Sisters Tea Room; dozens of varieties of loose-leaf tea ‘to go’ or indulge in a light tea-time right there

•The Dancing Bean Café; freshly roasted coffee

Gift Shops

•The General Store; especially for dishware and wind chimes

•Toad Hall Emporium; an eclectic mix of toys for all ages, kids clothing, and artisan work

•British Allsorts; a mixture of Soccer jerseys and specialty food items

•Gifts & Things; kitchen gadgets, a large selection of gift items, candles & cards

•Sonshine Flowers; fresh flowers, and interestingly enough, they also carry a line of items for dogs

•A Flower Affair; fresh flowers

Free Parking

You can easily find parking and it’s free, a true bonus when strolling leisurely through a boutique laden environment. One ‘free parking find’ is the lot at Waterwheel Park, which is across from the Visitor Centre and convenient to stores and restaurants.  While you’re parking there you can also take advantage of the lovely views of the park, itself.

For more Shopping in Chemainus

Re-published from www.amazingvancouverisland.com under creative commons license.

Some of the best cold water diving destinations in the world are on Vancouver Island. There is something special for both new and experienced divers. The waters off Chemainus have natural and “man made” reefs which are home to Cloud Sponge , Octopus, Rock Fish, Wolf Els and a host of other varieties of sea life.  Seals can also be seen on some of the reefs.

Vancouver Island  and the Gulf Islands are in a temperate climate zone. The water temperature varies only by a few degrees between summer and winter. The best diving visibility is in the winter.

You can dive Chemainus and discover the world’s first artificial reef made from a sunken Boeing 737 plane.

The Sunken Boeing 737 Artificial Reef

In 2006 the Artificial Reef Society of BC sunk a de-commissioned Boeing 737  in the Stuart Chanel near Chemainus.  The reef is named The Xihwu (pronounced key’ quot) which is the local First Nations  word for Red Sea Urchin which are in abundance.

The reef is protected by Gulf Islands to the east and Vancouver Island to the west. The reef (sunken 737 plane) is about 30 meters (100 feet) below sea level.  It is about 5 meters (15 feet) off the ocean floor.  Divers can enter and swim the full length of the fuselage. You can grab a picture sitting in the captain’s chair.

In just a few years the Xihwu reef has attracted over 100 species and has become one of the most popular scuba diving sites in the region.

Shipwrecks off Chemainus

In addition to the 737 artificial reef there are a number of other reefs created by shipwrecks over the years all offering unique diving experiences.

For experienced divers there is the wreck of the Del Norte, a 60 meter (190 foot) steam side-wheel schooner. This reef is in the Porlier Pass, between two Gulf Islands, Valdes and Galiano.

There are a dozen other popular diving sites in the Chemainus and Vancouver island region, offering a variety of different places to survey shipwrecks or enjoy the marine life of the Salish Sea.

The Salish Sea

The Salish Sea is an overall embracive term to describe the waters from the north end of the Strait of Georgia and Desolation Sound to the south end of the Puget Sound and west to the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, including the inland marine waters of southern BC and northern Washington state.

Cold Water Diving

 To be comfortable diving in these waters you will want a 7mm wetsuit with gloves, boots and hood. If you are planning multiple dives you should consider a dry suit.

Getting To Chemainus

Chemainus is right off Highway 1, the main north-south highway on Vancvouer Island – about a 20 minute drive from Nanaimo to the north and about 1.5 hours from Victoria in the south. Watch for signs for Chemainus, or the Penalakut (formerly Kuper), Thetis Island ferry. Look for the BC Ferries terminal which can take you to Thetis Island. Check the sailing schedule in advance as it is not frequent.

Chemainus and Area Dive Operators

49th Parallel Dive Charters

A top dive operator to dive the 737 reef is 49th Parallel Dive Charters. They are located on nearby Thetis Island which you can get to via a BC Ferry trip from Chemainus. They can service larger groups but they specialize in smaller groups of up to 8 divers. Their boats include a custom 37 foot cruiser and a 17 foot catamaran.

Contact: 250-252-0758

Gulf Islands Explorers Ltd.

Gulf Island Explorers provide scuba diving, sightseeing and fishing throughout the Gulf Islands.  There is a certified dive master available upon request. Dive tanks and air are included in the fees. Onboard services include meals and beverages.

Contact info: Gulf Islands Explorers Ltd.
Gulf Islands Explorers Ltd,  PO Box 494, Chemainus, B.C.  V0R 1K0
Toll Free: 1.877.245.9559  Phone: 250.246.9559  Mobile: 250.246.7866  Fax: 250.246.9559
Email: info@gulfislandsexplorers.com www.gulfislandsexploers.com

There are also dive outfitters and charters out of Nanaimo.

Come and enjoy Vancouver Island and please tell your friends about us.

The Chemainus Theatre Festival is a true Vancouver Island star.  Well-known for producing amazing entertainment, like classic, award winning comedies, musicals, and dramas, as well as developing new Canadian classic adaptations and original plays, this professional theatre is dedicated to entertaining and enriching the lives of both Vancouver Island visitors and residents alike. 

Chemainus Theatre Festival

The Chemainus Theatre Festival opened their doors in 1993 and produces 5 mainstage shows annually, in addition to presenting children’s shows during the summer months – yes, indeed, they do stay busy – They must really like what they do.

The Chemainus Theatre

I have to tell you, the building that the theatre is in creates a one of a kind  ”Chemainus Theatrical Festival experience” in its own right.   You walk into an exquisite Italianate building, with domed lobby, which, by the way, houses not only the intimate, state-of-the-art 274 seat theatre (every seat, a great view), but a Dining Room and Gift Shop as well, incorporating visual and culinary arts into the Festival’s repertoire – If you’re anything like me, great food, great shopping and great theatre will make you very happy.  Since the Festival has over 14,000 patrons and 70,000 visitors annually who come from all over Vancouver Island, Greater Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest, you’ll be happily in good company.

The Playbill Dining Room

You can start your amazing evening at the Chemainus Theatre Festival in the Playbill Dining Room. Serving a great hot buffet, seasonal salad bar and an abundance of amazing desserts, they also have a very special menu of regional wines, beers, and estate ciders.  Have a little, have a lot, you really can’t go wrong.

The Gallery Gift Shop

This lovely Gift Shop houses the work of over 100 artisans from BC.  The diverse collection includes pottery, paintings, prints, jewelry, clothing, glass, wood, books and sculpture.  These great gifts are offered in all price ranges and just might tempt you to shop for yourself as well as your friends – I know I’m tempted.

You can create theatre, dinner, accommodation packages and if you’re feeling romantic, you can add a horse-drawn carriage ride to take you to the Chemainus Theatre Festival.  Amazing!

More information about the Chemainus Theatre Festival

Known as, “The envy of the world”, Vancouver Island offers clean air, pristine lakes and rivers, secluded beaches and  towering forests, all with a mild climate. There is so much to do whether outdoors or in!  In a region renowned for its many artists and artisans, Chemainus and nearby Salt Spring Island offer the opportunity to explore a variety of boutique shops, antique outlets and artist’s studios; local Galleries feature over 100 BC artists.  For the more outgoing, kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, hiking and golfing are readily available.

If you’ve been to the Chemainus Theatre Festival tell us about it – we really like hearing about your experiences.