Oliver, British Columbia, is a small town located in the South Okanagan. Billing itself as the "Wine Capital of Canada," Oliver is renowned for its high quality wine. The climate and topography offer the optimum conditions necessary to grow the preferred Vinerfera wine grapes and the town has the largest concentration of both vineyards and commercial wineries in British Columbia. Approximately 30 wineries are located within 15 minutes of Oliver. Many of these are located along what is known as the Golden Mile of Highway 97, just south of Oliver. The rolling terraces, exceptionally mild climate with lots of sun, gravelly soil and availability of irrigation produce the right elements for growing high-quality grapes, as well as cherries, peaches and apples.

History

Oliver was named after John Oliver, the premier of British Columbia (1918-1927). An area south of the townsite is a pocket desert - a part of the Sonoran Life Zone that stretches all the way into Mexico. The desert is not part of the Sonoran desert which is located in southern USA. We are actually part of the Great-Basin Desert.

Up to 500 people resided at nearby Fairview Gold Mine for a brief period around the end of the 19th Century. Large scale settlement in the Oliver-Osoyoos area was enhanced after construction of an irrigation canal in 1921 (by John Oliver's administration). Newly-irrigated land was made available at very modest prices to WW I veterans in 1921, and to returning WW II veterans in the 1940's. Prior to the development of the wine industry, almost all of the agricultural land in the Oliver area was planted in tree fruits such as cherries, apples and peaches. Many of the local orchards are now owned by more recent arrivals from Portugal in the 1950s and India in the 1980s.

Schools

Southern Okanagan Secondary School (formerly SOHS)

Oliver Elementary School

Tuc-el-nuit Elementary School

Sen Pok Chin Independent School

Hospitals/Care Facilities

South Okanagan General Hospital

Sunnybank Center (Extended Care)

McKinney Place (Extended Care)

Sports and recreation

The town is also home to two world class golf courses. Fairview Mountain has established a reputation for spectacular golf and was rated as the BCPGA facility of the year. Score Magazine rated Fairview Mountain #18 on its list of the top 100 golf courses in Canada. Inkameep Canyon Desert Golf Course is another well ranked course and offers 18 holes and breathtaking views of the valley. The World Hockey Association's Oliver Jets will play Junior A hockey in Oliver in the 2007-2008 season.

Mt Baldy ski hill, located some 34km to the east of Oliver, has recently undergone a lift expansion. Future plans include several new lifts and a golf course.

Oliver is home to the world class big league experience - Oliver Baseball Camp

Notable People from Oliver

George Bowering, First Canadian Poet Laureate, graduate of SOHS

John Anderson, Admiral (Ret) Former Chief of Defense Staff, graduate of SOHS

Ross Fitzpatrick, Canadian Senator (Okanagan-Similkameen), graduate of SOHS

Alison Smith, CBC TV anchor, graduate of SOSS

John Shannon, NHL Vice President - Broadcasting, graduate of SOSS

Bill Barisoff, Speaker of the Legislature - BC Government current

External links

• Town of Oliver
• Oliver Chronicle
• Oliver Economic Development
• Oliver Chamber of Commerce