The Chemainus River is located on southeastern
Vancouver Island. Its headwaters begin, roughly, north of the
Cowichan River; it then travels southeasterly to outflow in the
Strait of Georgia, passing through the coastal town of Chemainus. The river, along with the town and
district, was named in the 1850s after the Chemainus First Nation.
2
Recently, however, the Chemainus have become the Stz’uminus First Nation, to reflect
their original Hul'qumi'num language name.
2