Quw'utsun Secondary School
Quw’utsun Secondary School, formerly known as Cowichan Secondary School, is a public secondary school in Duncan, British Columbia. It’s the main secondary school for School District 79 Cowichan Valley and is one of the largest on Vancouver Island.
In 2013, the school became a dual-campus Grade 8–12 school after Quamichan Middle School on Beverley Street was merged with Cowichan Secondary on James Street. In September 2018, the dual-campus model was dissolved and Cowichan Secondary School and Quamichan School returned to being two separate schools, leaving Cowichan Secondary as a grades 10-12 secondary school. On February 3, 2025, the new school, named Quw'utsun Secondary, was officially opened. On April 4, 2025, the Cowichan Valley School District announced that the old Cowichan Secondary building would be used for RCMP and Sheriff Service training.
Location
The school was under construction in the 1940s near the Trans-Canada Highway.Planning in 2014 considered relocating the school to the property purchased for the school's new build, adjacent to Vancouver Island University's Duncan campus and the Cowichan Community Centre recreation facility.
In 2019, the Cowichan Secondary School Replacement Project was formally announced. In early January 2021, Urban One Builders and hcma architecture + design were selected to head design and construction. The school will prioritize seismic safety and is three stories tall. The architectural features of the school is in honour the unceded Quw’utsun lands where it situates. The new building is approximately 11,975 square metres and built for 1100 students, with the ability to expand to house 1500 students with the addition of new classrooms. The construction of the school costed $86.7m, from the original $82.2m budget, and opened February 3, 2025.