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Painted in 1988 by Doug Driediger,
Calgary, Alberta
2.4M x 6M (8’ x 20’), CHEMAINUS MEDICAL CLINIC, ESPLANADE STREET
The Artist
Armed with an Honours Diploma in Painting from the Alberta College of Art, Calgary native Doug Driediger opened his own graphics business right off the bat. He is an exacting artist who demands that a high degree of intensity and spirit show through in any of his work.
His mural depicting the Chemainus Hospital produced a “testimonial to a profession dedicated to preserving, enhancing and beginning life”, and is indicative of the painstaking details which characterize Driediger’s art. In bringing the characters of his mural to life, the people of Chemainus were as important to him as the paints on his palette.
Driediger’s paintings are featured in the collections of the Banff Rocky Mountain Resorts and the Thorn Hill Recreation Centre, and appeared in exhibitions associated with the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta.
The Art
In a composite of scenes, the Chemainus Hospital, built in 1899, sits majestically at the left of the mural. When built, it was the only hospital between Victoria and Nanaimo. It remains a strong focus in the community even today.
Some of the doctors, nurses, staff and patients from over the years are portrayed in the foreground across the expanse of the painting. From left to right are: Nurse Graham, Head Cook Chang, Nurse Johnson, Mrs. Ruth Heslip (wheelchair), Dr. Herbert Burritt Rogers, and Nurse MacDougal, holding an infant.
Dr. Rogers was the first medical doctor to work out of the newly constructed hospital when he began there in 1900. Before obtaining his medical degree from McGill University in Montreal, he had the distinction of being one of Canada’s earliest appendectomy patients. While working as a postal inspector, he again led the way, carrying the first official mail to Victoria on the newly completed Canadian Pacific Railway. He was a well-loved resident of Chemainus for many years and retired as the Medical Superintendent of the Chemainus Hospital in 1936.
The Little Town That Did!
“Obviously, Chemainus, B.C., no matter how small it is, has things like imagination and foresight
and a willingness on the part of its residents and community leaders to get behind daring
and adventurous initiatives.”
Author and historian, Pierre Berton
From just five murals and lots of spirit in the summer of 1982, Chemainus has struggled, grown and succeeded in literally putting itself on the map. In 1983, it won the prestigious New York Downtown Revitalization Award for its redevelopment of the town core. It has since gained world-wide acclaim for the integrity and superb artistry of its huge depictions of the town’s history.
Forty larger-than-life historic paintings in this open air gallery now greet the gaze of thousands of visitors each year. Chemainus thrives as a result, but it remains a small town, with just over 4,500 residents. These welcoming people still dish out island hospitality, along with ice cream and afternoon tea and scones just as they always have. Chemainus really is “The Little Town That Did”©.
The coastal community of Chemainus has a rich and varied history. Beginning thousands of years ago with the Coast Salish Native people, that history has flourished through a century and a half of industry and labour. With a mild climate and a great abundance of natural resources, the surrounding area became home to many hardworking settlers. Side by side, these people hewed a town of substance from the majestic forests.
These same forests have provided the lifeblood of the entire valley for more than a century, but to Chemainus, this has sometimes been a painful reality.
In 1981 the town of Chemainus benefited from a province wide redevelopment fund, and initiated a downtown revitalization project to give a face lift to a tired-looking main street. Planters overflowing with fresh flowers, new benches, improved public spaces and better parking facilities, all resulted from this initial project. Suddenly though, the town faced much graver problems than a lack of fresh paint along its thoroughfares. After more than 120 years the mill shut down in 1983.
Without waiting to hear if the mill would reopen, residents rallied to hold on to the roots they had established here. They continued the beautification of the central core. But more was to come. With the remarkable energy and creative vision of resident and businessman Karl Schutz, and the committed support of the then mayor Graham Bruce and the municipal council, the Festival of Murals Society was born. The painting of murals on some of the outside walls of local buildings was the Municipality of North Cowichan’s colourful investment in a livelier looking village.
Those early years of redevelopment now seem a part of history, too. More than a quarter of a million dollars has been invested in the mural project by private, corporate, federal, provincial and municipal investors. As a direct result, Chemainus has attracted in excess of one hundred new businesses, 350-450,000 visitors a year and a $3.5 million dinner theatre. From a dependence on a single industry, it has broadened its economic base to offer a range of service and tourist related activities. To everyone’s relief, the mill was rebuilt and modernized, and reopened in 1985. By that time, residents and visitors alike felt that they had proven they could survive the worst of times through their spirit and determination.
The town now has a new look. It is one that is reminiscent of past glories, and the result is a pleasing mixture of Victorian and frontier design, with a real down home feel. Chemainus welcomes you to a feast for all the senses. Come and taste the magic! You’ll never experience history quite like this again.