Mural #29 The Winning Float

The date was June 30, 1939 - the Golden Jubilee of the Victoria Lumber and Manufacturing Company, the lifeblood of the modern town of Chemainus. The summer breeze rustled leaves and pulled at the lengths of the swaying silk kimonos worn by members of the Japanese Canadian community. Theirs was the winning float in a record-breaking parade that stretched over three-quarters of a mile (1km) and began two days of festivities.

In stark contrast to the gentle dance of the womens clothing are the sturdy siennas and rusts of an expanse of forest and rock across the bay, the eternal backdrop to all activity in the town. Japanese culture likewise survived side by side the picket fence propriety of a dominant society that became increasingly intolerant of differences as war loomed. By 1942, there was not a single Japanese Canadian resident in town - all had been forcibly moved to internment camps.