Duncan (British Columbia)
Duncan is a city on Vancouver Iceland in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is 50 km from Victoria, the province 's capital city and is the administrative center of the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The city is called City of Totem (City of Totems ), and thus takes the culture of the First Nations on in their self-image.
History
Only in the 1980s, the city brought their ethnic minorities more strongly into the public consciousness. This first advanced the First Nations of the region, especially the Cowichan, again in the spotlight. So Simon Charlie created some of the largest totem poles in Canada.
The city was named after the 1836 in Sarnia, Ontario -born William Chalmers Duncan. He came in May 1862 Victoria and joined the hundred settlers to the Governor James Douglas to Cowichan Bay sent. After Duncan had heard of gold found there, he moved to the Fraser River and in the Cariboo region. Finally, he settled at today's Duncan and married in 1876. His son Kenneth became the first mayor of the town, the city is since 1912.
Duncan was named Alderlea Farm, and this was the name of the place at first also. However, the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, opened in August 1886 should not hold in Alderlea on her maiden voyage. However, since there around 2000 people gathered, the train stopped yet unscheduled.
In the southwest of the town was created by the construction of railways, a Chinatown, which consisted of six Chinese families. Among them were only 30 dealers who supplied the loggers, miners and workers in the sawmills and fish factories with the practical life. Numerous Chinese worked as a lumberjack, eg in the Hillcrest Lumber Company and the Mayo Lumber Company, or as workers in sawmills, as the Iceland Lumber Company in Somenos.
From Chinatown, however, there was nothing left, because they demolished in 1969 to make room for a courthouse. So the city put out the remembrance of the Chinese, whose immigration was prohibited in 1923, almost. Just outside the city, in Whippletree Junction, were collected in the last decades remains of the Chinese community.
The granting of local autonomy for the church took place on March 4, 1912 (incorporated as the City).
Demography
The census in 2011 showed a population of 4,932 inhabitants for the community. The city's population has decreased while compared to the census of 2006 at 1.1%, while the population in British Columbia grew by 7.0 % at the same time. In the census region Duncan ( Census agglomeration of Duncan ) 43 255 inhabitants.
Education
In 1969, under the name of Malaspina University - College is a small college, which was lodged on 23 April 2008 University, and now Vancouver Iceland University say. Other parts of the VIU are located in Nanaimo and Parksville, 100, and 200 km north of Duncan.
Economy
Today, the city has a large Indian community, which has become known through the so-called Cowichan Sweaters in the fashion market.
However, the timber industry suffers not only from the depletion of resources, but also with raw timber in the United States. Recognizing the importance of this industry, GE founded ( Gerry ) Wellburn the BC Forest Discovery Centre.
Traffic
Duncan lies on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1). This leads in a north-south direction through the city. Furthermore begins in the north of the city of Highway 18 to Lake Cowichan.
On the southern outskirts of Duncan is the local airfield (IATA: DUQ, Transport Canada Identifier: CAM3 ). The airport has a very short paved runway, and runway of 463 meters in length.