Chemainus Valley Museum

08/21/2026

Friday, August 21, 2026

What comes around, goes around. We have a lot of things in our museum that are "round". Here is a glimpse into our Artifact rooms of round things.

What do you have in your home that's round or goes round?

08/14/2026

Friday August 14, 2026

Sometimes we receive photographs with little or no information. A little sleuthing into the photo's image may give clues as to when or where the photograph was taken.
Sometimes we have to look for clues as to who is in the photo.

What clues do you get when you look at these photos?

08/07/2026

Friday, August 7th, 2026

Here is a collection of Firsts and Lasts

07/31/2026

Friday, July 31, 2026

When someone says "Let's move house", they really meant it in Chemainus. Walking around town with a person who has been here a long time will say - "That house was moved from across the street", or maybe it came from Washington state!

"The factor responsible for the earliest post-war development was a serious housing shortage aggravated by the return of married veterans who had left town as single men. To help fill this obvious need the Victoria Lumber Company instituted three separate housing plans. The first stage was the subdivision of the lumber yards, followed by the construction of new homes in that location during the summer of 1947.
The next step was the purchase of a number of duplex houses built for workers at the wartime naval yard at Bremerton, Washington. These were carried by scow to Chemainus and began to come ashore in November. Some of these were hauled to the lower section of the lumber yards, where they were separated into single dwellings. The remaining were taken to another subdivision between Halhed Road and the cemetery, to be set up in their original form.
Whereas the dwellings in the lumber yard area were to be sold to company employees, the duplex “Bremetons” were provided for the accommodation of those who preferred to rent their homes. The official name of the new subdivision was Highland Subdivision, but this term was rarely used. Whitin a few months of its occupation it became known as “Dogpatch” after the locale of a well-known hillbilly comic strip, and Dogpatch it remained, to the annoyance of those who lived there, until the buildings were sold and removed twelve years later.” ( from Water Over the Wheel by Harry Olsen 1963)

07/24/2026

Friday July 24th, 2026

from Water Over the Wheel, by Harry Olsen, 1963:

" The event that led to the eventual formation of a volunteer fire department was a shock to the whole community since it would have resulted in tragedy. A fire broke out in a hospital building [1919] and, since the nearest fire hydrant was located beside the company store, volunteers started from that point and ran out 2,000 feet of hose to the hospital. It was only then discovered that the hose had been reeled backwards and had to be reversed before sections could be coupled together and water brought to bear on the fire.
The blaze was extinguished before it had done much damage, but its principal effect was to expose the urgent need of proper facilities to combat fire in the townsite, and of men trained to use fire-fighting equipment" p 128

From Memories of the Chemainus Valley:

"There was another fire in 1961 which started in the furnace room.
The patients had to be moved this time. Those well enough were sent home and the others taken to the nearby Baptist Church." P313

Here are photos of fire personnel, the firehall and the mill's one-time fireboat!

07/17/2026

Friday, July 17, 2026

This time of year the concept of fire becomes foremost on everyone's minds, especially as we see earlier, and more desperate drought conditions.
Fires, whether in the woods or in the town, have been a part of the Chemainus Valley's history. Sometimes it is one building, sometimes it is a whole community.

Fires of Chemainus
from Water Over the Wheel, by Harry Olsen, 1963:

"One of the less attractive features of old-time Chemainus was the Chinatown which housed about one-third of the population of the townsite. In this separate community, perched on the edge of the bank on the present site of the planer mill, ramshackle houses leaned against one another in picturesque squalor.
Early one morning in April, 1913, fire broke out in one of these shacks. Before the blaze could be checked, 25 buildings had been destroyed. Fire struck again in August, 1914, and within a few hours, Chinatown was in ashes. Only one house was saved and over 200 Chinese were left homeless. They lived in an emergency tent camp while VL&MCo rushed the construction of new quarters in a new location. The site chosen is now part of the mill yard, and is still referred to as "Chinatown", although none of the buildings now remain." pg 119

" On August 4 of that year [1907] the townsite [Mount Sicker] narrowly escaped being destroyed by one of the largest forest fires ever to occur in this district. Sparks from the Tyee mine pumoping station started the blaze, but in the careless fashion of the time, no attempt was made to curb the fie, since it was headed to the Chemainus River and away from the townsite. For several days it crept down the valley, crossed the river and ate its way up the sloped of Mount Brenton.
A sudden change of wind brought the blaze roaring back across the river, up the slopes of Mount Sicker and Prevost, with frightening speed toward the townsite. ....Only another changeof wind saved the townsite from certain destruction, the flames having approached within a few hundred yards of the nearest building." pg 108

from Memories of the Chemainus Valley
THE CHINATOWN FIRE
"The original Chinatown was on the bank where the Planer Mill is now. It was a rabbit-warren of old shacks. Stores were owned by
Fong Yuen, Hong Hing and Chong Hing. Chong Hing had been cook for Mr. E. J. Palmer (mill manager) or as he was called (but not to his face) "Old Hickory." The fire occurred about 19 I 2 and only one house was left standing, that of Ah Koo, whose son lives on the River Road and Cecilia Street. There was a blasting powder storage· shed near by this but did not explode.
The Company then built another town for the Chinese between the logging road and the bank overlooking the mill. Japanese homes were at the foot of this bank. Chong Hing had his store in this town. But Hong Hing and Fong Yuen moved down to the area at the Government Wharf." Pg 208

Here are some photos from our past

07/10/2026

Friday July 10, 2026

"None Came Back " is a very special exhibition on now at the Chemainus Valley Museum in Chemainus' beautiful Waterwheel Park

from our website:
None Came Back is a major exhibition that presents the story of Japanese Canadians who once called Chemainus home. It explores how international, national and local events affected the lives of Japanese Canadians and changed the community forever.

Presented in 10 panels, the exposition begins with the early arrival of Japanese Canadians and the establishment of vibrant neighbourhoods. The exhibition does not shy away from exploring the barriers in the community created by social prejudices and unequal civic rights. The uprooting, internment, and dispossession of Japanese Canadians during World War II is covered by presenting how individual Japanese Canadians were affected. The exhibition addresses the question of why no one came back to Chemainus at the end of the war and encourages reflection about this chapter in the history of the community.

07/06/2026

Awesome post for our special exhibit

07/03/2026

JULY 3, 2026

Happening now at the Chemainus Valley Museum - NONE CAME BACK exhibition

from "Memories of the Chemainus Valley", by Jack Howe, - The Japanese 1942

" Until early 1942 there were many Japanese in Chemainus; businessmen, millworkers and fishermen. There were two Japanese enclaves in Chemainus. One of these was at the head of the Bay - this area is now used for lumber storage and the Company incinerator. This was the Okada settlement. Mr. Okada had the boom contract for the mill. At that time there was no Camp Boom.
In addition to Mr. Okada and his family there were a number of other residents. Among these were Sekot Ghigetomi, Fujimoto, and Fukamoto.
The other Japanese area was between Esplanade and Maple Streets and Oak Street and about 60 feet north of Brenton's parking lot. About half way between Oak Street and this boundary there was a road or alley running from Esplanade to Croft Street.
Among the businesses in this area were: I. Kawahara - Hauling - Taxi - and General Store. 2. Hakashima - General Store and Fish Shop. This store was on Maple Street next to the present Bargain Mart. 3. Tanina - (where the bakery is located) Store Slot Machines - Ping-Pong - Candy - To***co. Some of the families living in this area were Furuya, Kusuda and Otes.
The laundry was on the comer of Oak and Maple. Nakashimas' store was next to it. There were garden plots at comer of Oak and Croft and Kawahara's store was on the comer of Oak and Esplanade. There was an entrance off Oak Street to an enclosed area. There were in this part a barber shop, pool hall and bath house. Also some dwellings.
There were more dwellings on the north side of the alley from Esplanade to Croft Street. Between these homes and the northern boundary were the Judo Hall on Esplanade and the school on Croft Street. The Japanese children would attend the public school and after that would attend the Japanese school.
On the comer of Pine Street and Esplanade there was a very large two-storey home. This was owned by Shige Yoshida. His father, a long-time resident of Chemainus was well known in the mill as "Henry Ford." He was driver of a cut-down Ford Model T which was used to haul iron wheeled trailers loaded with lumber.
When the Japanese were moved away this house was sold by the government for $720.00 without the sanction of the owner. The above was told us by the former owner. Harry Higashi was head millwright in the mill. George Tanina was carpenter. The head oiler was Japanese.
It was a sad and heart-rending sight that day around Easter 1942.
A long line of Japanese, old people, young people, boys, girls, babes-in-arms slowly wending their way to the ship at the dock, waiting impatiently to take them away from their homes.
They were being taken to Vancouver, this they knew for certain but after Vancouver - a mystery. Where they would be sent or how they would be treated they did not know.
One can imagine their thoughts - What will happen to us, our homes, our gardens, our furniture, our cherished possessions? Would someone place a flower on the graves of their loved ones?
We in Chemainus know."

07/02/2026

Great Raffle Fundraiser for the Museum. Amazing prizes!! WestJet, Best Western, Mt Brenton & Country Grocer.
Get your tickets online. They will also be available at the Museum next week.

Thank you for supporting the Chemainus Valley Museum