
The city of Duncan is located south of Vancouver Island. It was established in 1912 and is famous for its totem collection. It is among the largest totem pole collections in the world. The city's official name in 1985 was "City of Totems." City of Totems is a very fitting name, as the city had 44 totem poles in the collection. Unfortunately, one of the poles was destroyed in a traffic accident, and another one was given to Kaikohe.
In May 1862, William Chalmers Duncan (born 1836 in Sarnia, Ontario) arrived in Victoria. He was the man this community was named after. He was one of the hundred settlers that Governor Douglas took to Cowichan Bay. Duncan chose to settle close to the present city of Duncan and got married in 1876 after trying several gold rushes. His son Kenneth grew up to be the first Mayor of Duncan, and now there is Kenneth Street and Duncan Street in the city honouring them.
Duncan's tourist attractions and activities include shops and restaurants, great vineyards, kayaking the rivers and the ocean, hiking the Trans Canada Trail, the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre or farmers' market.
Duncan has a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and cold winters. The temperature is usually between 23°C (73.4°F) and −1°C (30.2°F).
The best time to visit Duncan is from late spring to summer when the city has its best temperature for several activities.