Duncan
City
The Corporation of the City of Duncan
Duncan City Hall
Duncan City Hall
Motto: 
City of Totems
Duncan is located in Vancouver Island
Duncan
Duncan
Location of Duncan in British Columbia
Duncan is located in British Columbia
Duncan
Duncan
Duncan (British Columbia)
Coordinates: 48°46′43″N 123°42′28″W / 48.77861°N 123.70778°W / 48.77861; -123.70778
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
RegionVancouver Island
Regional districtCowichan Valley
Incorporated1912
Government
 • Governing bodyDuncan City Council
 • MayorMichelle Staples
Area
 • City2.07 km2 (0.80 sq mi)
 • Urban
373.71 km2 (144.29 sq mi)
Elevation
20 m (70 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • City5,047
 • Density2,444.5/km2 (6,331/sq mi)
 • Urban
23,278
 • Urban density1,070.5/km2 (2,773/sq mi)
 • Metro
44,451
 • Metro density118.9/km2 (308/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
Forward sortation area
V9L
Area code(s)250, 778, 236, 672
Highways Hwy 1 (TCH)
WaterwaysCowichan River
Websiteduncan.ca
Sign welcoming visitors to the town of Duncan, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Duncan (pop. 5,047 in 2021) is a city on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is the smallest city by area (2.07 square kilometres, 0.8 square miles) in Canada.[1] It was incorporated in 1912.

Location

The city is about 45 kilometres from both Victoria to the south and Nanaimo to the north.

Although the City of Duncan has a population of just over 5,000, it serves the Cowichan Valley which has a population of approximately 90,000,[2] many of whom live in North Cowichan and Cowichan Tribes. This gives Duncan a much larger perceived "greater" population than that contained within the city limits. People in areas of North Cowichan and bordering on Duncan usually use "Duncan" as their mailing address.

Duncan has one seat on the Cowichan Valley Regional District Board. The name Cowichan is an Anglicization of Halkomelem Quw̓utsun̓, which means "the warm land".

Transportation

The city is served by the Trans-Canada Highway which connects the city to Nanaimo in the north and Victoria to the south. Highway 1 through Duncan is a four-lane street with two signalized intersections (within the city limits) and a speed limit of 50 km/h.

British Columbia Highway 18 connects Duncan (via North Cowichan) to the town of Lake Cowichan to the west.

Public transit is provided in conjunction between BC Transit, the Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System and the Nanaimo Regional Transit System

Duncan is connected to the two largest communities on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo and Victoria, through regular bus service.

Public transit provides connections from Duncan to the surrounding communities including Lake Cowichan, Crofton, Chemainus, and Ladysmith as well as communities to the south including Cobble Hill, Shawnigan Lake and Mill Bay. Mill Bay service includes routing to the Malahat first nation and the Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay Ferry across the Saanich Inlet.

The Nanaimo Regional Transit System provides daily (except Sunday) bus service between Duncan and Nanaimo including a stop at the Nanaimo Airport.

The Island Rail Corridor railway line still passes through Duncan along the coast of Vancouver Island, but trains have long since stopped running on it. Both freight service and the Crown corporation VIA Rail passenger service have been suspended due to deferred maintenance on the rail line.

Duncan is serviced by the neighbouring Maple Bay Airport (YAQ) in North Cowichan, which offers services to Vancouver Downtown, Vancouver Airport, Ganges on Salt Spring Island and Bedwell Harbour on Pender Island. Service is provided by Saltspring Air and Harbour Air.

History

The community is named after William Chalmers Duncan[3][1] (born 1836 in Sarnia, Ontario). He arrived in Victoria in May 1862, then in August of that year he was one of the party of a 78 settlers which Governor Douglas took to Cowichan Bay.[4] After going off on several gold rushes, Duncan settled close to the present City of Duncan. He married in 1876, and his son Kenneth became the first Mayor of Duncan. There is a Kenneth Street, as well as a Duncan Street, in the City.[5]: 69 

Duncan's farm was named Alderlea, and this was the first name of the adjacent settlement. In August 1886, the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway was opened. No stop had been scheduled at Alderlea for the inaugural train bearing Sir John A. Macdonald and Robert Dunsmuir. However, at Duncan's Crossing, the level crossing nearest Alderlea, a crowd of 2,000 had assembled around a decorated arch and the train came to an unplanned halt.[5]: 69  According to this legend, a train station was established at the settlement and the city built around it.[6] Initially part of the District of North Cowichan, Duncan felt its needs as an urban settlement in the largely rural municipality were not being met, in particular the need to have proper roadways.[7] After a particularly wet winter in 1911–1912, a vote was held to make Duncan a distinct city, and it was incorporated on March 4, 1912.[8] With the enlargement of North Cowichan in the ensuing decades, there was an effort to re-unite the two municipalities, though a referndum on the matter in June 1978 was soundly defeated.[9]

In the early 1900s, Duncan's Chinatown was the social centre for the Cowichan Valley's Chinese population. Chinatown was concentrated in a single block in the southwestern corner of Duncan. At its largest point, Duncan's Chinatown included six Chinese families and 30 merchants who supplied goods and services to the loggers, millworkers, cannery and mine workers in the area.[10] The city tore the buildings down in 1969 to build a new law courts complex. Some materials from the original buildings were used at Whippletree Junction.[11]

In the 1980s, the city was noted in coverage related to the 1985 bombings at Narita Airport in Japan and aboard Air India Flight 182, Canada's largest murder case. Resident Inderjit Singh Reyat purchased bomb parts and a radio at Duncan stores, and used the radio to conceal the bomb. Less than two weeks prior to the bombings, Reyat and suspected Air India mastermind Talwinder Singh Parmar were observed testing explosives in the woods outside of Duncan by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).[12]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Duncan had a population of 5,047 living in 2,454 of its 2,620 total private dwellings, a change of 2.1% from its 2016 population of 4,944. With a land area of 2.06 km2 (0.80 sq mi), it had a population density of 2,450.0/km2 (6,345.5/sq mi) in 2021.[13]

Ethnicity

Panethnic groups in the City of Duncan (1986−2021)
Panethnic
group		 2021[14] 2016[15] 2011[16] 2006[17] 2001[18] 1996[19] 1991[20][21] 1986[22][23][24]: 97 
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
European[lower-alpha 1] 3,625 78.04% 3,605 80.65% 3,740 83.86% 4,155 85.06% 3,530 79.5% 3,810 86% 3,620 89.27% 3,380 87.23%
Indigenous 760 16.36% 630 14.09% 485 10.87% 525 10.75% 735 16.55% 395 8.92% 200 4.93% 300 7.74%
Southeast Asian[lower-alpha 2] 60 1.29% 35 0.78% 105 2.35% 60 1.23% 0 0% 0 0% 30 0.74% 15 0.39%
African 55 1.18% 60 1.34% 0 0% 20 0.41% 20 0.45% 15 0.34% 0 0% 0 0%
South Asian 40 0.86% 65 1.45% 40 0.9% 35 0.72% 50 1.13% 75 1.69% 160 3.95% 105 2.71%
East Asian[lower-alpha 3] 30 0.65% 40 0.89% 70 1.57% 80 1.64% 90 2.03% 115 2.6% 45 1.11% 70 1.81%
Latin American 20 0.43% 15 0.34% 0 0% 10 0.2% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Middle Eastern[lower-alpha 4] 10 0.22% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 20 0.45% 0 0% 5 0.13%
Other/Multiracial[lower-alpha 5] 25 0.54% 25 0.56% 0 0% 0 0% 20 0.45% 0 0% — — — —
Total responses 4,645 92.03% 4,470 90.41% 4,460 90.43% 4,885 97.97% 4,440 94.49% 4,430 96.56% 4,055 94.28% 3,875 95.94%
Total population 5,047 100% 4,944 100% 4,932 100% 4,986 100% 4,699 100% 4,588 100% 4,301 100% 4,039 100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Duncan included:[14]

Religious groups in Duncan (1991−2021)
Religious group 2021[14] 2011[16] 2001[18] 1991[20]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Christian 1,590 34.23% 2,200 49.33% 2,515 56.64% 2,730 67.32%
Indigenous spirituality 45 0.97% 0 0% N/A N/A N/A N/A
Sikh 30 0.65% 25 0.56% 60 1.35% 130 3.21%
Jewish 25 0.54% 0 0% 10 0.23% 0 0%
Buddhist 20 0.43% 30 0.67% 50 1.13% 0 0%
Muslim 15 0.32% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Hindu 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Other religion 140 3.01% 90 2.02% 40 0.9% 0 0%
Irreligious 2,780 59.85% 2,100 47.09% 1,760 39.64% 1,185 29.22%
Total responses 4,645 92.03% 4,460 90.43% 4,440 94.49% 4,055 94.28%

Attractions

The City of Duncan was incorporated in 1912 and is known for one of the largest totem pole collections. The City was officially named "City of Totems" in 1985. The City had 44 totem poles in the collection, however one was destroyed in an auto accident, one was gifted to Kaikohe, New Zealand and one returned to earth. In 2007, the City of Duncan deemed copyright privileges of the totem poles. The use of the totems' images for commercial purposes requires the City of Duncan's approval.[25] The Cowichan Historical Society (Museum) provides free totem tours in the summer months.

Duncan has a large Indigenous community and is the traditional home of the Cowichan Tribes, who are the largest band among the Coast Salish people. The Coast Salish men and women of the Cowichan Tribes are makers of the world-famous Cowichan Sweaters.

Before the Canada–United States softwood lumber dispute, Duncan and the whole Cowichan Valley were a thriving lumber centre in British Columbia.

Cowichan Community Centre is located in the jurisdiction of the Municipality of North Cowichan, and serves purpose for all citizens in the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), including swimming and skating facilities. The centre has the world's largest hockey stick which was made specifically for Expo 86 in Vancouver, and purchased by CVRD at the end of the event.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Duncan has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb).

Climate data for Duncan Forestry; 6 m (20 ft) asl (1971–2000 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 15.0
(59.0)		 19.4
(66.9)		 21.1
(70.0)		 25.6
(78.1)		 33.5
(92.3)		 41.5
(106.7)		 38.2
(100.8)		 37.5
(99.5)		 34.5
(94.1)		 28.4
(83.1)		 18.9
(66.0)		 17.0
(62.6)		 41.5
(106.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.1
(43.0)		 8.0
(46.4)		 10.6
(51.1)		 13.9
(57.0)		 17.4
(63.3)		 20.3
(68.5)		 23.3
(73.9)		 23.6
(74.5)		 20.3
(68.5)		 14.8
(58.6)		 8.8
(47.8)		 6.3
(43.3)		 14.5
(58.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.6
(36.7)		 4.1
(39.4)		 5.9
(42.6)		 8.5
(47.3)		 11.9
(53.4)		 14.7
(58.5)		 17.0
(62.6)		 17.1
(62.8)		 13.8
(56.8)		 9.3
(48.7)		 5.0
(41.0)		 2.9
(37.2)		 9.4
(48.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1.1
(30.0)		 0.1
(32.2)		 1.2
(34.2)		 3.0
(37.4)		 6.2
(43.2)		 9.1
(48.4)		 10.7
(51.3)		 10.5
(50.9)		 7.2
(45.0)		 3.8
(38.8)		 1.2
(34.2)		 −0.5
(31.1)		 4.3
(39.7)
Record low °C (°F) −21.1
(−6.0)		 −15.5
(4.1)		 −12.0
(10.4)		 −3.9
(25.0)		 −2.2
(28.0)		 1.7
(35.1)		 3.3
(37.9)		 2.2
(36.0)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −6.7
(19.9)		 −17.0
(1.4)		 −21.7
(−7.1)		 −21.7
(−7.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 145.3
(5.72)		 130.1
(5.12)		 101.7
(4.00)		 54.0
(2.13)		 44.4
(1.75)		 37.3
(1.47)		 20.3
(0.80)		 25.3
(1.00)		 46.7
(1.84)		 80.0
(3.15)		 168.8
(6.65)		 185.5
(7.30)		 1,039.2
(40.91)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 129.5
(5.10)		 122.2
(4.81)		 99.7
(3.93)		 53.9
(2.12)		 44.4
(1.75)		 37.3
(1.47)		 20.3
(0.80)		 25.3
(1.00)		 46.7
(1.84)		 79.5
(3.13)		 163.3
(6.43)		 171.1
(6.74)		 993.1
(39.10)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 15.8
(6.2)		 7.9
(3.1)		 2.0
(0.8)		 0.2
(0.1)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.4
(0.2)		 5.4
(2.1)		 14.4
(5.7)		 46.1
(18.1)
Source: Environment Canada[26]
Climate data for Duncan Kelvin Creek; 103 m (338 ft) asl (1971–2000 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.5
(61.7)		 18.5
(65.3)		 23.5
(74.3)		 28.5
(83.3)		 32.0
(89.6)		 34.0
(93.2)		 36.0
(96.8)		 34.5
(94.1)		 35.0
(95.0)		 27.0
(80.6)		 18.0
(64.4)		 17.5
(63.5)		 36.0
(96.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.8
(44.2)		 8.7
(47.7)		 11.2
(52.2)		 14.8
(58.6)		 18.4
(65.1)		 21.3
(70.3)		 24.7
(76.5)		 24.6
(76.3)		 22.1
(71.8)		 15.1
(59.2)		 9.5
(49.1)		 6.2
(43.2)		 15.3
(59.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.6
(38.5)		 4.4
(39.9)		 6.3
(43.3)		 9.1
(48.4)		 12.4
(54.3)		 15.3
(59.5)		 17.9
(64.2)		 17.8
(64.0)		 15.2
(59.4)		 10.1
(50.2)		 5.8
(42.4)		 3.3
(37.9)		 10.1
(50.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.3
(32.5)		 0.0
(32.0)		 1.4
(34.5)		 3.4
(38.1)		 6.3
(43.3)		 9.1
(48.4)		 11.1
(52.0)		 11.0
(51.8)		 8.1
(46.6)		 5.1
(41.2)		 2.1
(35.8)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 4.8
(40.6)
Record low °C (°F) −21.1
(−6.0)		 −15.5
(4.1)		 −12.0
(10.4)		 −3.9
(25.0)		 −2.2
(28.0)		 1.7
(35.1)		 3.3
(37.9)		 2.2
(36.0)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −6.7
(19.9)		 −17.0
(1.4)		 −21.7
(−7.1)		 −21.7
(−7.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 248.3
(9.78)		 139.1
(5.48)		 135.4
(5.33)		 82.6
(3.25)		 49.1
(1.93)		 36.7
(1.44)		 22.3
(0.88)		 33.2
(1.31)		 31.6
(1.24)		 119.4
(4.70)		 227.9
(8.97)		 235.6
(9.28)		 1,361.2
(53.59)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 225.2
(8.87)		 125.9
(4.96)		 125.9
(4.96)		 82.6
(3.25)		 49.1
(1.93)		 36.7
(1.44)		 22.3
(0.88)		 33.2
(1.31)		 31.6
(1.24)		 119.1
(4.69)		 219.7
(8.65)		 218.0
(8.58)		 1,289.2
(50.76)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 23.0
(9.1)		 13.2
(5.2)		 9.6
(3.8)		 0.1
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.4
(0.2)		 8.3
(3.3)		 17.6
(6.9)		 72.0
(28.3)
Source: Environment Canada[27]

Education

Duncan is part of British Columbia's School District 79 Cowichan Valley. It has one independent school. Queen Margaret's School, established in 1921, as a private secondary university preparatory school which includes a co-ed junior school.

Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University-College) has a regional campus in the Municipality of North Cowichan, bordering Duncan, that offers a Bachelor of Education degree as well as programs and courses in university transfer, access, trades and applied technology, health and human services, and career and academic preparation. The campus also has a Continuing Education department that offers certificate programs, personal and professional development courses, and online courses. The current 55,000-square-foot (5,100 m2) campus opened for classes in June 2011.

Also bordering Duncan in the Municipality of North Cowichan, there are two public secondary schools, Cowichan Secondary School, and Quamichan Secondary School, as well as several elementary schools. The head offices of School District 79 Cowichan Valley are also located in North Cowichan. In the Cowichan region there are also has two denominational independent schools: Queen of Angels (Catholic school), serving preschool to Grade 9 students, and Duncan Christian School, whose campus is home to both an independent elementary and high school. Sunrise Waldorf School is a non-denominational K-8 independent school offering Waldorf education in the Cowichan Valley.

Sports

The Cowichan Community Sportsplex is located on the border of Duncan, but in the Municipality of North Cowichan and is the home of the British Columbia Hockey League's Cowichan Valley Capitals, who play in the Cowichan Community Sportsplex. It is home to a number of other sports and athletics organizations including the Cowichan Valley Athletic Club's (CVAC) Jaguars one of the many clubs and teams that practice & compete out of the extensive Cowichan Sportsplex.

Notable people

See also Category:People from Duncan, British Columbia

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
  2. ↑ Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
  3. ↑ Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
  4. ↑ Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
  5. ↑ Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References

  1. 1 2 "Duncan". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Reports & Statistics | Cowichan Valley Regional District". www.cvrd.bc.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  3. ↑ "Duncan". BC Geographical Names.
  4. ↑ Henry, Tom (1999). Small City in a Big Valley: The Story of Duncan. Madeira Park, British Columbia: Harbour Publisher. p. 8. ISBN 1-55017-212-3.
  5. 1 2 Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986), British Columbia Place Names (3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press, ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
  6. ↑ Henry. Small City in a Big Valley. p. 30.
  7. ↑ Henry. Small City in a Big Valley. pp. 65–67.
  8. ↑ Henry. Small City in a Big Valley. p. 69.
  9. ↑ Henry. Small City in a Big Valley. p. 164.
  10. ↑ Henry. Small City in a Big Valley. p. 109.
  11. ↑ Henry. Small City in a Big Valley. p. 162.
  12. ↑ Sikh probe took wrong turn after Duncan blast: former CSIS agent, CBC News, May 24, 2007
  13. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-10-26). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  15. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2021-10-27). "Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  16. 1 2 Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2015-11-27). "NHS Profile". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  17. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-08-20). "2006 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  18. 1 2 Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-07-02). "2001 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  19. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-06-04). "Electronic Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1996 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  20. 1 2 Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-03-29). "1991 Census Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions - Part B". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  21. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-03-29). "Data tables, 1991 Census Population by Ethnic Origin (24), Showing Single and Multiple Origins (2) - Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  22. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-06-27). "Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part A". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  23. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2019-06-27). "Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part B". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  24. ↑ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2013-04-03). "Canada's aboriginal population by census subdivisions from the 1986 Census of Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  25. ↑ "Duncan Council Policy Manual | Totem Image Use". Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  26. ↑ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000 Duncan Forestry, accessed 20 November 2018
  27. ↑ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data Duncan Kelvin Creek, accessed 26 April 2018

48°46′43.3″N 123°42′28.3″W / 48.778694°N 123.707861°W / 48.778694; -123.707861

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