Oliver

Oliver is a town of about 4900 people (2016) in the Okanagan region of British Columbia. It sits along the Okanagan River by Tuc-el-nuit Lake between Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls. Tourism British Columbia has named it "the Wine Capital of Canada".

Understand

Local industries include grape and fruit production, agri-tourism, wine production, ranching, golfing and recreation, retail and service trades. Some of the largest employers include Osoyoos Indian Band, School District #53, Interior Health and Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative

It was named after John Oliver (1856–1927), Premier of British Columbia. "Honest John" and his government brought irrigation water and settlement lots to the area with the South Okanagan Lands Project.

History

The First Nations (Indigenoys people) of the South Okanagan settled near the river, creeks and valley lakes. The first encroachment from the outside world came circa 1811, when fur traders came to the area with the establishment of Fort Okanagan (now in the US) and first explored the area for trade.

In the 1880s, free gold-bearing quartz was found at Camp McKinney (east of Oliver) which became a busy gold mine, attracting miners, con men, and outlaws. In Fairview (just west of and above Oliver), miners found gold and fueled the growth of a boomtown but it lasted just a few years and no remnants of the town survive today, other than a heritage marker.

Established in 1918, Oliver was a settlement for unemployed veterans of the First World War. A gravity-fed canal was constructed to provide irrigation to the semi-arid area.

In 1919, the South Okanagan Lands Project (SOLP) began work on the Intake Dam at the base of McIntyre Bluff. Over the next 8 years the 23 mi (37 km) of the concrete-lined main canal were dug southward to the boundary. SOLP designed it to enable farmers to put nearly a foot of water per month on every acre of bottom land in the southern Valley. To get the canal from the east side of the valley to the benches on the west, the “big siphon” was constructed — a 1,940-foot-long (590 m) pipe of 6½-foot-diameter. (Its original wood stave have been replaced by concrete.) It runs directly beneath the centre of Oliver. The offices of the land project and the building that housed the BC Provincial Police built circa 1924 stand today in Oliver as preserved heritage sites.

In 1923 the Kettle Valley Railway (CPR) constructed Oliver station and rails to transport fruit north to Penticton.

Get in

British Columbia roads have been vulnerable to natural disasters such as major flooding in November 2021 and wildfires in August 2023. You can check with DriveBC for up-to-date road conditions and road restrictions after clicking the Major Events tab.


By air

Oliver has a small airport with no scheduled flights. For scheduled flights, the closest airport is in Penticton, though for greater options, use Kelowna's airport.

By car

Highway 97 (a major highway through the Okanagan region) passes directly through the town.

Get around

Oliver is a relatively small town; most, if not all, of everything is within walking distance.

The KVR trail (also referred to as the Hike & Bike path) makes its way to Osoyoos and up to OK Falls and Penticton; it is a scenic route along the Okanagan River. Most of the route is paved and well maintained, and even the unpaved (gravel) parts are well looked after with few holes and obstructions. This path is definitely faster, safer and more fun to travel on than the highway, if you plan to bike or walk to any of Oliver's neighbouring cities.

By public transit

By taxi

See

Do

Wineries

Make sure to visit some of the many world-class wineries while in Oliver. Oliver is home to the Golden Mile, and some of the valley's best grapes are grown here.

Across the valley from the Golden Mile is the Black Sage bench, which is home to some of the valley's most acclaimed wineries. It is renowned for its easterly position, heat, and long summer sun exposure, allowing for the production of high-quality red wines. Not all wineries in the area focus on "big red" wines, however. The Black Sage region of the South Okanagan is definitely a worthwhile area to tour during a stay in Oliver.

See "Drink" section for some winery options.

Buy

Oliver is home to many unique specialty shops, the likes of which span subjects as diverse as crafts, aesthetics, and jewellery.

Produce

There are numerous fruit stands lining Highway 97, especially south of the downtown Oliver area.

Eat

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Drink

There is a bar in the Ghallager Lake area (a bit outside of town, north toward Okanagan Falls). There is a provincial liquor store on Main Street. The drinking age in BC is 19.

  • 🌍 Ye Olde Welcome Inn, 8380 Ghallagher Lake Frontage Rd, ☏ +1 778-439-2435. This pub has an old English feel to it, inside and out; they'll be serving up your pub favourites. (updated Mar 2023)

Wineries and vineyards

The Okanagan Valley is known for it's winemaking, and Oliver has more wineries than anywhere else in the Okanagan Valley.

Sleep

Bed & Breakfast

Cope

Go next

Take Highway 97 to Osoyoos (south) or Penticton (north) to open a wide possibility of other cities in the Okanagan region. Penticton is a 30-minute drive and Osoyoos is about 15-20 minutes.

Go skiing at Mount Baldy, about 35 minutes drive east.

Routes through Oliver
Penticton ← Okanagan Falls ←  N  S  → Osoyoos → → Omak


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