Duncan is a city in the South Vancouver Island region of British Columbia. It is known for having one of the largest totem pole collections: more than 40. The Cowichan Historical Society (Museum) provides free totem tours in the summer months.

Understand

Duncan City Hall

Although the City of Duncan has a population of just under 5,000 (2016), it serves the Cowichan Valley which has a population of approximately 84,000, many of whom live in North Cowichan and Cowichan First Nations (Indigenous) reserves. People in areas of North Cowichan and bordering on Duncan usually use "Duncan" as their mailing address.

The name Cowichan is an anglicization of Halkomelem Quw̓utsun̓, which means "the warm land".

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.

Get in

By car

Duncan is on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) roughly halfway between Nanaimo and Victoria, a 30-45 minute drive from either city. The city is about 45 km from Victoria to the south and Nanaimo to the north.

By bus

• IslandLink Bus, info@islandlinkbus.com. Service from Nanaimo and Tofino. (updated Jan 2023)
• Tofino Bus (Vancouver Island Connector). Seasonal service operating between mid-May to mid-October with route operating several days per week on Vancouver Island between Victoria and Tofino with stops in Langford, Duncan, Chemainus, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville, Coombs, Port Alberni and Ucluelet. (updated Jun 2024)
• BC Transit (Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System), ☏ +1-250-746-9899. Route 66, service from Victoria. (updated Mar 2022)

By taxi

• Country Cabs Duncan, ☏ +1 250-701-3403. (updated Jul 2022)
• Duncan Taxi, ☏ +1 250-746-4444, toll-free: +1-888-748-9400, Duncantaxi@hotmail.com. (updated Jul 2022)

By boat

• BC Ferries, toll-free: +1-888-223-3779. Operates ferries connecting British Columbia's coastal communities. (updated Jun 2022)
  • 1 Crofton ferry terminal, 1499 Chaplin Street, Crofton. Served by a vehicle ferry route from Salt Spring Island (Vesuvius Bay) ferry terminal. 25 minutes crossing. Departures almost hourly from about 7:00AM to about 9:30PM. (updated Oct 2023) BC Transit serves both Crofton and the Salt Spring Island (Vesuvius Bay) ferry terminals. At Crofton, bus route #6 serves the ferry terminal, connecting to Duncan and Chemainus. The ferry terminal is in Crofton, about 13km northeast of Duncan.

By plane

The nearest airport with scheduled flights is in Nanaimo.

Seaplanes

• 2 Harbour Air, ☏ +1-604-274-1277, toll-free: +1-800-665-0212. Operates seaplane flights mostly to coastal communities in southwestern British Columbia. (updated Apr 2022) Seaplanes land at Maple Bay, about 9 kilometres drive east of Duncan. Flights to Maple Bay from Vancouver International Airport (50 minutes).

Get around

Having your own car is the most convenient way to get around Duncan.

By public transit

BC Transit (Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System), ☏ +1-250-746-9899. Operates buses connecting communities within the Cowichan Valley, including: Chemainus, Cowichan Bay, Crofton, Duncan, Lake Cowichan, Ladysmith, Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake,. $2.50 for local travel. (updated Mar 2022) Routes in Duncan include:

• A number of bus routes servicing Duncan and nearby communities. It can get you close-ish to attractions but service on many routes is infrequent with buses often over an hour apart. The fare is $2.25.
• Route 6 between Duncan and Chemainus (50 minutes) via Crofton. Operates Monday to Friday with a number of trips, and Saturday and Sunday with limited trips.
• Routes 8 and 9 between Duncan, Mill Bay, and Shawnigan Lake. The two routes run as loops with route 8 operating clockwise and route 9 operating counter-clockwise. Route 8 reaches the Mill Bay ferry (which crosses to Brentwood Bay, where there are public transit connections to Victoria), but route 9 does not. Route 8 and 9 operate Monday to Friday with a number of trips, Saturday and Sunday with limited trips.
• Route 36 between Duncan and Ladysmith (40 minutes). Operates Monday to Saturday with limited trips.
• Route 66 between Duncan and Victoria (1.25 hours) with a stop in Langford. Operates Monday to Friday with a number of trips departing from Duncan before 9:30 am and a number of trips departing from Victoria in the afternoon. Operates Saturday with limited trips. $10 per trip.
• Route 70 between downtown Nanaimo and Duncan (1.25 hours) with stops in Ladysmith and at Nanaimo Airport. Operates Monday to Saturday with a number of trips. $7.50 per trip.

See

Riding the steam train at the BC Forest Discovery Centre

• 1 BC Forest Discovery Centre, 2892 Drinkwater Rd, ☏ +1 250-715-1113. June-Aug: 10AM-4:30PM daily, May & Sept: 10AM-4:30PM Th-M, also open for special events around Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Indoor and outdoor exhibits on logging, including a reconstructed logging camp and steam train rides. The site also includes trails, a playground, picnic tables, gift shop and concessions. $11-16 in summer, $8-12 May & Sept. (updated Aug 2019)
• 2 Pacific Northwest Raptors, 1877 Herd Rd, ☏ +1 250-746-0372. Mid May-Sept: 10:30AM-5PM daily, March-mid May & Oct: 10:30AM-3PM daily, Nov-early Jan: Th-Su noon-3PM. Conservation, research and educational facility on birds of prey with eagles, owls, hawks, falcons and vultures. The entrance fee lets you tour the facility, hear from the biologists and falconers who work there and see the flying demonstration (1-3 times per day, depending on the time of year). Additional activities available for a fee. $10-18 (child-adult), extra $20 for a walk with the hawks, and an extra $40-42 for one-hour hands on experience with the bird (includes walking with the hawks). (updated Aug 2019)
• Totem poles - Duncan is nicknamed the City of Totems, with over 40 totem poles in town.
• 3 World's Largest Hockey Stick, 2687 James St. Commissioned for Expo 86, this wooden and steel replica of a hockey stick and puck is on display outside the local arena. Measuring 205 ft and weighing 61,000 lb, it is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest hockey stick in the world. (updated Aug 2019)

Nearby

South of Mill Bay:

• 4 Malahat Skywalk, 901 Trans-Canada Highway, toll-free: +1-833-625-2428. Daily 9AM-8PM. Offers a spiral tower for great views of the local area and an elevated path, called TreeWalk, to walk through an area of forest. (updated Jul 2023)

Do

• 1 Duncan Meadows Gold Course, 6507 North Rd, ☏ +1 250-746-8993. 18 hole golf course. (updated May 2023)

Nearby

In Shawnigan Lake (accessed south of Duncan, along Highway 1, then by taking Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd):

• 2 Kinsol Trestle. A 44 m-high and 187 m-long wooden former railway bridge, which can crossed by foot or bike as part of the Cowichan Valley Trail. (updated Jul 2023)

Learn

• 1 Vancouver Island University (VIU) - Cowichan campus, 2011 University Way, ☏ +1 250-746-3500. Publicly funded university. (updated Sep 2023)

Eat

• 1 Alderlea Farm Cafe, 3390 Glenora Rd, ☏ +1 250-597-3438. F-Su 11AM-8PM mid-March to Oct. Cozy restaurant in a converted barn. Menu features produce and meat from the farm, and freshly baked desserts. Drinks include a number of local craft beers and wines. A specialty is the wood-fired oven baked pizzas only available on Sundays after 4PM. $6-20. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 Craig Street Brew Pub, 25 Craig St, ☏ +1 250-737-2337. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F-Sa 11AM-midnight, Su 11AM-10PM. Pub-style restaurant with large menu covering appetizers, smaller plates, sandwiches, burgers and entrees. $11-25. (updated Sep 2019)

Sleep

• 1 Best Western Cowichan Valley Inn, 6459 Norcross Rd, ☏ +1 250-748-2722, toll-free: 1 800 780-7234. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Rooms with one or two beds, and include coffee/tea maker, fridge and free Wifi. There's also a restaurant, small exercise room and business center. $160 and up. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 Thunderbird Motor Inn, 5849 York Rd, ☏ +1 250-748-8192. Queen, king and double queen rooms, and include a coffee maker and free Wifi. There's also a restaurant and business center on-site. $120-155 in summer with cheaper rates off-season. (updated Sep 2019)

Cope

Newspaper

• Cowichan Valley Citizen, ☏ +1 250-748-2666. (updated May 2023)

Hospital

• 2 Cowichan District Hospital, 3045 Gibbins Rd, ☏ +1 250-737-2030. Has an emergency department that operates 24/7. (updated Apr 2023)

Go next

• Salt Spring Island is a short ferry ride from nearby Crofton (from Herd Rd go north on Osborne Bay Rd). There are artist studios, farms and the weekly market in spring, summer and fall.

Routes through Duncan

Nanaimo ← Chemainus ←

N  S

→ Langford → Victoria