Chemainus — Canada’s Surprising Mural Mecca
Written by Bree Chapin
Published on September 9th, 2026
On a recent trip to the city of Victoria (capital of British Columbia) to visit family, we decided to take a little drive “up island” heading northward along the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. My in-laws suggested we make a stop in a town called Chemainus to see a few of its murals. I had no idea that a “few” murals meant a collection of 50+ large-scale paintings realized over four decades. I got out of the car and was blown away by the gorgeous artwork seemingly covering every square meter of the town square.
Chemainus boasts over 70 works of street art including murals and dozens of public sculptures and installations. Its reputation as the “mural capital of Canada” began as a bold initiative in 1982 to revitalize a failing logging town as a destination for art tourism. After 40+ years, many of the original murals continue to survive, lovingly preserved and continuously maintained by the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society since 1987.
According to the website for the Murals Society, the story of the town’s murals began in the early 1980s when the town faced the grueling pressures of a collapsing logging industry and devastating recession.
According to the website for the Murals Society, the story of the town’s murals began in the early 1980s when the town faced the grueling pressures of a collapsing logging industry and devastating recession. Long before the notion that street art could have a positive economic impact on a community became commonplace, the people of Chemainus had the wild idea to paint the first five large-scale murals to add color and aesthetic appeal to its town center. “In the summer of 1982, five murals appeared on the walls of local businesses — each a vivid snapshot of Chemainus’ past. Those first paintings sparked something extraordinary. Within a year, Chemainus had won the prestigious New York Downtown Revitalization Award, and the world took notice.”
That same year saw the closure of the town’s sawmill, which had been its main industry for 120 years. But the people of Chemainus saw the opportunity to expand the original project even further. More murals were created, a festival was established, and the historic town made up of a mix of First Nations peoples and settlers pulled itself back from the brink. “By blending history with artistry, this small town of just over 4,000 residents reinvented itself. Visitors began arriving from across the globe to see the murals that told stories of loggers, settlers, Coast Salish peoples, and the sea,” describes the Visit Chemainus Tourism website.
Over the years the town has continued to add to its outdoor art gallery with new installations and murals each year that attract visitors from all over the world. One thing that really impressed me was the town’s dedication to maintaining the original murals. It’s amazing to see the sizable murals that helped save the struggling town in such great condition. One can imagine the impact they would have had in the 1980s when the whole project was still a bit of a gamble.
The town is beautiful in its own right but the murals add artful magic everywhere, colorful and inspiring. Many of the artworks draw inspiration from the natural history of the area. Others reference historical themes and events such as in depictions of the logging industry or of soldiers that perished during World War I. Some of my personal favorites were the stunning murals inspired by the peoples of First Nations, especially the communities of the Coast Salish peoples. One recurring subject is Emily Carr, one of Northwestern Canada’s most significant artists known for her love of the area’s indigenous cultures.
From indigenous myths and symbology to the stories of immigrant laborers, each work of art alludes to threads in a fascinating, interwoven history.
From indigenous myths and symbology to the stories of immigrant laborers, each work of art alludes to threads in a fascinating, interwoven history. I found myself curious about the stories behind so many of the murals, searching online for the names of the people, places, and communities depicted. Thankfully, the Mural Society provides details about each numbered piece and explains the significance behind them.
During my visit while I was excitedly running around taking photos of one amazing outdoor artwork after another, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a restoration in progress. I didn’t immediately realize that the artist doing the painstaking restoration work was none other than the town’s lead mural specialist Trisha Oldfield. I reached out to her afterward to understand a bit about her work and how the 80s murals continue to impress locals and tourists alike.
Oldfield began her official role when she was looking to contribute original artwork to her town of over 25 years. After an artistic career of designing murals throughout Canada and Mexico, her first original artwork for the Chemainus’s walls “Welcome to Chemainus” coincided with the start of her job as the town’s restoration specialist.
I was of course curious about the technical challenges of maintaining historic murals year after year. She describes one of the biggest challenges as “restoring a mural when the original reference material no longer exists. Many of our murals were painted more than 30 years ago—long before smartphones made it easy to document every stage of a project. Sometimes I feel a bit like an art detective, piecing together clues to figure out exactly what the original artist intended. My goal is always to match the original artwork as faithfully as possible, and when that’s not possible, to carefully revive the mural while respecting the artist’s original vision,” explains Oldfield.
As a long time resident of Chemainus, Oldfield is “surrounded by the murals every day… It’s especially rewarding when I overhear someone say, ‘I don’t remember that mural looking so good!’ That’s when I know I’ve done my job.”
Four decades, 50+ murals, several international awards, and a documentary later… the once-struggling town of Chemainus continues to thrive as a hub for art and tourism. Now known as “the little town that did!” Chemainus now hosts one of the world’s largest outdoor art collections per capita according to the Society’s website.
In addition to the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society’s dedication to preserving the existing and historic murals around town, they continue to add new and fresh artwork to Canada’s famous outdoor gallery with a focus on local history, culture and the influence of its diverse communities.
And they’re not done yet. In addition to the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society’s dedication to preserving the existing and historic murals around town, they continue to add new and fresh artwork to Canada’s famous outdoor gallery with a focus on local history, culture and the influence of its diverse communities. Oldfield tells me that “a new triptych mural will be unveiled in September 2026 celebrating the contributions of the Japanese Canadians who lived and worked in Chemainus. The project is being created in partnership with the Japanese Canadian Legacy Society.”
I had to ask Oldfield what would be one surprising or lesser-known thing about Chemainus and its murals that she would love people to know. “One thing I always like to share with visitors is that the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society is a non-profit organization run almost entirely by a hardworking volunteer board—I’m the only paid staff member. The Society relies on grants and donations to fund its work, and the volunteer board is made up of an incredible group of dedicated people who quietly keep this program alive. They don’t just preserve paintings—they preserve the stories, history, and spirit of our community. Without them, Chemainus simply wouldn’t be the mural town everyone knows and loves.”
I am a firm believer in the power of public art. Chemainus is a truly unique little town with an inspiring story of how a big idea, an artistic vision, and a little bit of paint can make a world of difference—whether you’re a mega metropolis or a scrappy town of 4,000.
Bree Chapin is a studio artist and muralist. She is also co-founder and co-producer of the New York Underground Art League and an occasional writer. Having passed several thrilling decades in New York City, she has found a second home in sunny Lisboa.