A lot of pieces are falling into place with the opening of the Chemainus Visitors Centre at its new location in Waterwheel Square.
First, visitors to Chemainus, looking for what to do and see when they get there, will be greeted in a fresh new setting, with views of the town.
Second, now that the Visitors Centre has been relocated, North Cowichan can get on with demolition of the old fire hall across Willow Street, where the Visitors Centre used to be housed.
That will make way for the Vancouver Island Regional Library to start planning for a new branch, to replace the tiny library space located on Legion Street.
“As you can imagine, an undertaking like this involved the time and effort and energy of a lot of people,” said Brad Grigor, president of the Chemainus & District Chamber of Commerce.
Grigor recapped the importance of the opening as a key step in a revitalization plan for Chemainus being undertaken by the Municipality of North Cowichan.
“I have to say there’s a huge amount of satisfaction to seeing this dream realized,” North Cowichan Mayor Jon Lefebure said, just before officially cutting the ribbon opening the centre.
He thanked the Chemainus Historical Society. “They presented us with the opportunity to make this happen,” he said.
The Historical Society, along with the Festival of Murals Society and the Ladysmith & District Chamber of Commerce will eventually all be housed in the same Waterwheel Square location.
“Hopefully this will be helpful for the businesses in Chemainus,” Lefebure said of the new space. “We know that it’s a really tough environment to survive in. We see our part as investing in the community.”