Duncan
| Coordinates | 48°46′43″N 123°42′28″W |
| Country | British Columbia |
| District | Cowichan Valley Regional District |
| Population |
43,278 |
| Postal code area | DU |
| Postal code district | DU1 |
| Suburbs | Cowichan Bay (DU2) Deerholme (DU3) Eagle Heights (DU4) Fairbridge (DU5) Genoa Bay (DU6) Glenora (DU7) Hillcrest (DU8) Kwa′mutsun (DU12) Lhumlhumuluts′ (DU15) Quw′utsun (DU2Q) S′amuna′ (DU14) Tl′lulpalus (DU2T) Ts′alha′um (DU13) Xinupsum (DU16) Xwulqw′selu (DU9) |
Duncan is a city on Vancouver Island, British Columbia; it is the seat of the Cowichan Valley Regional District. Together with the adjacent town of Maple Bay and village of Paldi, it forms the Greater Duncan conurbation, of which the total population is 47,430.
The former villages of Cowichan Bay, Deerholme, Fairbridge, Genoa Bay, and Hillcrest were amalgamated with the City of Courtenay in 1977.
A great deal of the territory of the Quw′utsun Tribes IAD is in the form of non-contiguous exclaves within the city limits of Duncan, but not part of the city or the CVRD. Kwa′mutsun, Lhumlhumuluts′, Quw′utsun, S′amuna′, Tl′lulpalus, Ts′alha′um, Xinupsum, and Xwulqw′selu are effectively indistinguishable (other than street signs, etc) suburbs of Duncan.
Commerce
Transportation
Air
Greater Duncan is served by Duncan Airport (IATA: XDU, ICAO: BCDU). Although primarily used by general aviation, Vancouver Island Air offers scheduled flights to Campbell River.
The Cowichan District Hospital owns the Duncan Heliport (MTC LID: BDH4), which is used for medevac flights only and is not open to the public.
Rail
Greater Duncan is a key point on the railway network of Vancouver Island. Duncan Station is located on BC Rail's Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line, which crosses the Central Island Trunk Line - whose western terminus is in Cowichan Bay - at Tyup Station in Xwulqw′selu; also on the Central Island Trunk Line is Deerholme Station, which is the northern terminus of the Central Island South Line.
The Pacific Coast Limited (Trains 75/76) is a Limited Express service running between Victoria and Prince Rupert once daily in each direction, calling only at Duncan Station. Three regular Express trains serve the Duncan area as well: the Kuthkahchulth (Trains 11/12) running between Victoria and Port Alberni, the Air Marshal Sir Raymond Collishaw (Trains 13/14) between Victoria and Courtenay, and the Dayliner (Trains 15.1-4/16.1-4), which runs four times daily between Victoria and Nanaimo; these Express trains call at both Duncan and Cowichan Stations. Two Rapid services call at Deerholme, the twice-daily Central Island Rapid (Trains 191.1–2/192.1–2) between Sooke and Port Alberni, and the Sportsman Rapid (Trains 193.1–2/194.1–2), which runs twice daily between Victoria and Youbou in the summer timetable only. Five Local services call at stations in greater Duncan: Trains 1101.1-3/1102.1-3, thrice daily between Victoria and Nanaimo; Trains 1103.1-2/1104.1-2, twice daily between Duncan Station and Courtenay; Trains 1111.1-2/1112.1-2, twice daily between Cowichan Station and Port Alberni; Trains 1311.1-2/1312.1-2, running twice daily between Sooke and Lake Cowichan; and Trains 1313.1-2/1313.1-2, twice daily between Sooke and Duncan Station.
Railway stations in Duncan
| Station | Location | Railway | Line | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowichan Station | Cowichan Bay | BC Rail | Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line | Express, Local, freight |
| Cowichan Bay Station | Cowichan Bay | BC Rail | Central Island Trunk Line | freight |
| Deerholme Station | Deerholme | BC Rail | Central Island South Line Central Island Trunk Line |
Rapid, Local, freight |
| Duncan Station | Duncan | BC Rail | Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line | Limited Express, Express, Local |
| Glenora Station | Glenora | BC Rail | Central Island Trunk Line | Local, freight |
| Hillbank Station | Cowichan Bay | BC Rail | Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line | Local, freight |
| Maple Grove Station | Quw′utsun | BC Rail | Central Island Trunk Line | freight |
| S′amuna′ Station | S′amuna′ | BC Rail | Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line | Local, freight |
| Ts′alha′um Station | Ts′alha′um | BC Rail | Central Island Trunk Line | Local, freight |
| Tyee Station | S′amuna′ | BC Rail | Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line | Local, freight |
| Tyup Station | Xwulqw′selu | BC Rail | Central Island Trunk Line Esquimalt & Nanaimo Line |
freight |
Road
The Inter-Dominion Highway (BC Highway 1) runs through the centre of Duncan and through the suburbs of Cowichan Bay and Eagle Heights, and through S′amuna′ and Xwulqw′selu. The Cowichan Valley Highway (BC Highway 18) crosses Highway 1 at a junction in S′amuna′.
Bus service is provided by the Cowichan Valley Transit System.
Sport
Football
Duncan Rovers FC, presently competing in the Southwest Football Championship, play at the Chesterfield Avenue stadium (capacity: 2,984). The Rovers first qualified for League Play in 1932 after having finished fourth in the 1931 Division Three Qualification Competition, which followed a second-place finish in the Southwest Division One. Unfortunately, the Rovers finished last and were relegated immediately. Another runner-up finish in the Southwest led to a second-place finish in the 1941 Division Three Qualification Competition, which earned the Rovers promotion to the League again; unfortunately, due to the outbreak of the Pacific War, competition was suspended until the end of the war. Although the club took part in the unofficial South Island Football League during the war years, by the start of the 1946 season, only two players remained of the squad that had earned qualification in 1941, and the Rovers finished next to last in 1946 and were once again immediately relegated. The Rovers earned a spot in the 1976 Division Three Qualification Competition, but were eliminated in the first round of the Relegation playoff by McBride AFC after a 0:1 home loss. The club's first and thus far only championship title came in 1977, when they won the Regional Southwest Division One title and earned direct qualification to Division Three in the D3 Qualification Competition; unfortunately, another last-place finish in the 1978 season meant another immediate relegation. The Rovers once again earned direct promotion to the League in the 1992 Division Three Qualification Competition, and successfully avoided relegation for the first time with a twelfth-place finish in the 1993 season. They remained in Division Three for the rest of the decade. A fourth-place finish in Division Three A in 1997 earned the Rovers a spot in the Promotion Playoffs, where they defeated Smithers & Telkwa United on away goals in the quarter-finals and Cassiar City in the semi-finals, again on away goals, but falling short in the final, losing 0:1 in the single-elimination match against Inv & Ath United. The end of the 1998 season saw the Rovers tied for second place with Mackenzie FC on 56 points, but the northern side were ranked second due to a superior goal differential. Once again the Rovers were in the Promotion Playoffs, facing Michel & Sparwood FC in the quarter-finals, but unfortunately losing 1:2 on aggregate. 1999 saw the Rovers finish fourth again, but failing to secure a playoff spot. The turn of the millennium proved to be the end of the good days for the Rovers, ultimately being relegated from the League after a fifteenth-place finish in 2002. The Rovers have not returned to the League since.
The club's success in the BC FA Cup has been limited, reaching the Fourth Round in 1929, 1948, and 1997. Their most memorable Cup tie came in the third round of 1948, when non-league Rovers defeated Division Two's Cranbrook City FC 1:0 at home to advance to the fourth round, where they lost 1:2 at home to another Division Two side, South Hazelton FC.