Duncan is a 4,300 population town is now the commercial centre for the Cowichan Valley’s 50,000 residents. The 2,000 member Cowichan Indian band, known for their sweaters and totems, have a reservation nearby.
Duncan is known as the "City of Totems", with over 41 erected since 1985, linked by a trail marked with yellow footprints. In 1988, the world’s largest totem was carved here.
The town has several fine museums and attractions. The Native Heritage Centre offers native handicrafts and foods.
The Cowichan Valley Museum (250-746-6612) has local artifacts from homes, farms and doctor.
The Cowichan and Chemainus Valleys Ecomuseum Society (250-746-1611) is a museum without walls, with tours and trips to area sites.
Just 3 km north of town is the BC Forest Museum, which portrays the history of BC’s forestry industry through indoor and outdoor displays, including a sawmill, a planer mill, a pit saw, a blacksmith’s shop, and a working narrow-gauge steam locomotive.
