“Chemainus Road – Circa 1945” by artist Kris Friesen, painted in 2020

The mural is based on a photo showing Chemainus Road looking south.
The Jolly Trio Snack Bar is on the right. South of that building, at a later
date, was a building that housed Jimmy Webster’s barber shop, a beauty
salon, and upstairs, Dr. Bryant’s dental office. Clement’s Drug Store and
Shaw’s Men’s Wear are on the left. The old planer mill is in the distance.

But the mural tells a romantic story from around 1945. The girl riding
the bike is Aileen Heikkila, and the paper boy is Russ Roe. One day, as
Aileen rode home after picking up the mail, some envelopes flew out of
the basket of her bike. Russ helped her retrieve the wayward mail.
Aileen and Russ went on to celebrate a wonderful 59-year marriage and partnership.

Best viewed in original size