Duncan

Duncan

Our other trip out of Nanaimo was to Duncan, which we had read about, and also had recommended to us by a local couple who we met when we were in Puerto Varas in Chile earlier in the year. They are still on their travels too, so no catch ups today.

With an area of less than the old City of London, and a population of under 5,000, Duncan is the smallest city in BC, but it does service the much larger (around 80,000) outlying population. Like much of BC the city has roots in the lumber industry, but it also sits in the fertile Cowichan Valley, so there is an abundance of farming and nowadays, wineries too.

Of course, with our diets seemingly in freefall, and being already full of Nanaimo bars, we had to resist the temptation to check out all of the local wines.

Duncan is a pleasant place. The original settlement here was called Alderlea, and was just farmland, owned by William Chalmers Duncan. In 1887, he donated a section of the land for the town to be created, and that was the beginning of Duncan.

The city has a number of ‘heritage buildings’, that are probably quite interesting for visiting Canadians or others from newer countries, but which we find difficult to get excited about when they are only a hundred or so years old. That isn’t meaning to be dismissive, but just a reflection of a difference in perspective. As someone said to us recently Canadians are impressed by things that have even a relatively moderate age, that feel new and inconsequential to Europeans, but Europeans are put off by distances that Canadians wouldn’t give a second thought to.

What we did notice here, is that there was a better quality in the First Nations style souvenirs available than we have seen generally. And that brings me nicely to the reason that most tourists come to Duncan – the totem poles and Quw’utson Cultural Centre.

World's largest hockey stick, Duncan

Unfortunately, the cultural centre was closed on the day we visited, but we did get to see the largest hockey stick in the world. It was made for the 1986 Vancouver Expo, as part of a collection of large items celebrating aspects of the Canadian lifestyle, and bought by the city afterwards. Later in our trip, we would pass through Houston on the train, which is home to another of these items, the world’s largest fly fishing rod.

But enough of inexplicably large paraphanalia, and back to what the city is really known for - the totem poles. The City of Totems Project was begun by the then Mayor, Douglas Barker in 1985, as a way to attract new visitors. They commissioned numerous poles from recognised First Nations artists, and raised them around the main streets. This is now the world’s largest collection of publicly displayed totem poles, and in 2012, as part of their celebrations of the centenary of becoming a city, they created a trail that you can follow to see them.

I have chosen a number of the poles that we found more interesting for the photos, and whilst I won’t tell you any of the stories that go with them – you can read about those yourself if you visit one day – I have included details of what they depict, so you can make them out more easily.

 

Wind Spirit, carved by Doug LaFortune in 1986, and the first one that he made for the collection. It shows a Thunderbird, a Wind Spirit, a bear and a halibut.

Three poles, left to right are: The Feast, carved by Doug LaFortune in 1987, showing a bald eagle, a killer whale and Spirit Helpers; Raven’s Gift, carved by Doug LaFortune in 1989, showing a raven, a totem pole, a man and a beaver; and Pole of Wealth, carved by Hwunu’metse’(Simon Charlie) in 1988, showing a Thunderbird, a Spirit, a killer whale, a black bear and a copper.

Transformation, carved by Laverne Roy ‘Corky’ Baines in 1987, showing a bald eagle, a killer whale a man and a wolf.

Transformation in Life, carved by Chief Swaletthul’t’hw and Nelson Canute in 1987, showing an Eagle Guardian, a young person, a bald eagle and a man.

Two poles, left to right are: The Friendship Pole, carved by Cicero August in 1987, showing a bald eagle, a bear and a salmon; and Owl Pole, carved by Khut-Whee-Mul-Uhk in 1987, showing an owl, a bear and a human.

Kwagu’l Bear Holding a Seal, carved by Gwe-la-y-gwe-la-gya-les in 1987, showing a frog, a bear and a seal.

 

Centennial Pole, carved by Kwagu’t Chief Tlasutiwalis in 2012, showing a bald eagle, William Chalmers Duncan, a Thunderbird, a killer whale, a Chief Maker (which honours women of the city) and a frog. It also has salmon on the rear of the post.

the right hand pole is Thunderbird with Dzunuk’wa, carved by Moopin’kim in 1990, showing a Thunderbird and a Dzunuk’wa, or a wild woman.

Owl Spirit, carved by Ketwtel (Tom LaFortune) in 1986, showing an owl, a Human Spirit and a Chief.

Abolishment Pole, carved by Si-yaaxultun in 1990, showing a frog, a bear, another frog and a youth. I have to wonder whether this one is intended as a warning to any local tearaways, as the story is of a boy who kept terrorising his tribe, so eventually was cast out, left to wander aimlessly and then die, ending up covered in frogs.

Sea and Sky, carved by Harold Alfred in 1990, showing a Thunderbird and a killer whale.

Peaceful Boundaries, carved by Norman John in 1988, showing a raven, a Maquinna Sun Mask, and a double headed serpent.

Cedar Man Walking Out of The Log, carved by Gwe-la-y-gwe-la-gya-les in 1988, showing a man holding a walking stick that itself is carved with a copper and family crests of a baby Thunderbird, a killer whale and a man. This is the world’s widest totem pole with a diameter of 1.8 metres. The cedar tree that it is carved from is over 750 years old and has marks in the back where you can see that planks were once taken out to make First Nations homes.

Three poles, left to right are: The Guardians, carved by Khut-Whee-Mul-Uhk in 1986, showing Watchmen and a bald eagle; Dzunuk’wa, carved by Hokwawadi in 1989, showing a wild woman and a copper; and Chief’s Pole, carved by Khut-Whee-Mul-Uhk in 1986, showing a human child, a killer whale, a Chief and a copper.