Get to know Duncan through its farmers’ market, carved totem poles and trails in city parks. When planning your trip, keep in mind that each offers something different: the Farmers’ Market takes place on a set day of the week, the Totems Tour is self-guided, and the two parks have distinct features. This can help you decide whether the market, culture or a nature-focused walk should be the main focus of your stay in Duncan.
Saturday morning at the Farmers’ Market
The Duncan Farmers’ Market takes place year-round every Saturday morning, rain or shine, in downtown Duncan, behind City Hall at 200 Craig Street. The stalls offer local fruit and vegetables, baked goods, jams and jellies, honey, crafts, clothing and treats for pets. Food and handcrafted goods are available side by side. Saturday morning is the main fixed point to bear in mind when planning your trip. If the market is part of your plans, check the seasonal details before you leave.
Discover totem poles at your own pace
The Totems Tour is a self-guided walk to more than 40 carved totem poles spread throughout Duncan. Stories passed down by the artists and explanatory signs provide information about each pole. The Digital Totem Tour complements the walk: QR codes beside the totem poles link to videos, written content and audio recordings. The difference lies in how the information is presented—the walk brings the carved works together with their explanations, while the digital tour expands on the subject with video, text and audio.
A museum in a 1912 railway station
The Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives is housed in Duncan’s historic E&N railway station, which dates to 1912. This adds a different cultural perspective to the totem poles spread throughout the city. The Totems Tour focuses on carved works and stories passed down by artists; the museum, by contrast, is located in a historic railway station and houses an archive. These are two distinct cultural subjects: totem art and a railway station dating to 1912.
Trails in Centennial Park and Rotary Park
The parks also differ in their trail features. Centennial Park has a 500-metre trail for walking and running that is also suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Rotary Park has a walking trail along the dike. The footpath along the Cowichan River also passes through an ecologically sensitive area with information panels about the local flora and fauna. The differences can help you choose between the parks: Centennial Park’s trail length and suitability for wheelchairs and strollers are explicitly stated, while Rotary Park’s dike trail and information panels are the focus. This lets you compare a measured distance and the stated uses with a walking trail and nature information along the Cowichan River.
Considering Duncan as a place to stay
Duncan is just off the Trans-Canada Highway. This can help you decide whether Duncan fits your plans as an overnight stop before you look for a hotel in the city.
Discover more destinations: Ladysmith, Mill Bay, Chemainus, Honeymoon Bay, Malahat, Cobble Hill, Crofton, Cowichan Bay
For the broader travel overview: Cowichan Valley.
