The little town of Duncan (population 5000) lies 60 km (37 mi.) north of Victoria on TransCanada Highway 1, and is the hub of the island's timber processing industry. The first settlement of the Cowichan Valley took place in 1887. The town itself came into existence in 1912 when greater numbers of settlers were attracted to the area by the
discovery of what turned out to be limited copper and coal deposits at nearby Mt Sicker. Today only abandoned mines and the remains of buildings and camps bear witness to the short lived "boom". From Mt Prevost there are splendid views.