1 Chemainus Dollar - Chemainus Monetary Foundation British Columbia

Chemainus, a small Vancouver Island mill town, reinvented itself in the early 1980s as an open-air mural destination after the sawmill closure gutted its economy — a transformation that drew enough tourism to actually sustain a local alternative currency. The Chemainus Monetary Foundation issued these notes as a community scrip redeemable with participating local businesses, functioning less as legal tender and more as a loyalty instrument keeping spending within the town.

John Mardon, a prolific Canadian commemorative note designer, handled the artwork. The foil strip is an unusually serious security feature for a community currency of this scale.