Chemainus – The War Years – Circa 1915

Dimensions: 10.65m x 2.13m (35’ x 7’)

Best Viewed: On the wall around the corner from Little Town Pizza.

“Historical Series #26: Chemainus – The War Years – Circa 1915”

Patriotic feelings ran high as many men from Chemainus and area scrambled to join up soon after war was declared. By the end of September 1914, the mill had closed due to the war’s impact on shipping, convincing many more volunteers to enlist.

A reserved excitement, mixed with apprehension and certain sadness, marks the faces of the young soldiers arrested in time in this grouping.

They are members of the 67th Battalion out of Victoria, awaiting the train which for many would mark the last journey they would make from Chemainus.

Their connection to the land they had laboured so hard to tame was severed. They left behind the fields and forest, the homesteads and the growing village, the families and elders, who would have to carry on.

By the end of 1915, more than 15 percent of the local population had gone off to this bitter war, a significant number never to return.

(Please drop by the Chemainus Visitors Centre to buy your Official Mural Guide. Proceeds from the sale go to the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society).

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Where to Find This Mural

Location: 9867 Maple St, Chemainus, BC V0R 1K1, Canada Get Directions