Mural #25 Waiting for the Whistle

On a quiet Saturday afternoon in November 1923, a massive and violent fire consumed the entire roof of the third Chemainus mill and the structure collapsed. In the spring of 1924, much to the relief of the townspeople, the foundations were laid for a new mill, to be known as one of the largest of its kind in the world. It was not until 1940, however, that a new whistle was installed on the roof of the fourth mill.

The central theme of this expansive tryptic is that of the mill and its workers anticipating the end of the shift with the sounding of the handsomely crafted steam-operated whistle. Somber greens and blues mark the dying light of an evening in summer.