Just a whistle stop at William Duncan’s farm in the 1880’s, the coastal town of Duncan (population 5,000) has evolved itself into the City of Totems - hand carved cedar poles carved by community First Nations artisans overlook recreational areas & downtown streets. It’s a walkable, people-friendly town. Downtown Duncan features a quantity of heritage and vintage buildings and a sizeable assortment of small shops as well as restaurants. The community is located in the beautiful Cowichan Region on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. This region lies just north of Washington States San Juan Islands.
Arts and Cultures:
Presently there are lots of attractions to take a look at, however , you might want to start by looking at quite a few of Duncan’s 70-odd totems. You will be able to take a self-guided tour in the downtown region as many of the totems are in close distance. In summer, totally free well guided tours are available commencing at the classic train station.
Definitely do not miss the Quw’utsun’ Cultural & Conference Center in order to take pleasure in displays, traditional foods, storytelling, and Cowichan Valley artists and elders at work. The centre’s objective is to share as well as develop the pride of First Peoples via education and learning, art work, and traditional weaving, beading and spinning.
Chances are you’ll also wish to visit the British Columbia Forest Discovery Centre, which teaches the history of BC’s forest industry using indoor & outdoor exhibits. Board the train that rides a railway trestle over gorgeous Somenos Lake - a superb experience for kids and the youthful in spirit. Additionally visit the Freshwater Eco-Centre, next to the Vancouver Island Trout Hatchery, which has over 30 displays depicting wild fish preservation, fisheries environment protection & management methods.
There’s a large amount of extra activity in the summer season, so keep an eye out for special seasonal tours of heritage homes, home gardens, as well as artists’ studios. On Saturdays from April until the end of October, Duncan hosts a market in the City Square where you can enjoy an eclectic mix of vendors, merchants, entertainers as well as alternative & complimentary health practitioners. In July, Duncan also hosts an annual summer celebration with two days of live entertainment, free rides, street entertainers, contests, parades and a lot more.
Outdoor Adventure:
You are able to try sea kayaking, hiking, fishing and much more in the area! Do not overlook the Cowichan River Provincial Park, a 750-hectare park that protects substantial stretches of the Cowichan River, a Provincial Heritage River, globally renowned for its wild salmon & steelhead fishery. You can walk along the river on the park’s historic 20km-long footpath and explore the restored 66-Mile and Holt Creek Trestles on the Trans-Canada Trail. If you enjoy watching birds pay a visit to close by Somenos Marsh, a nature refuge in the Pacific Flyway that offers wintertime habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds.