Oliver is a town near the south end of the Okanagan Valley in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, with a population of nearly 5,000 people. It is located along the Okanagan River by

Tuc-el-nuit Lake Tuc-el-nuit Lake is a lake in the Similkameen Division Yale Land District within the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Geographical context The lake is a spring fed lake east of the Okanagan River between Osoyoos Osoyoos (, ) ...

between Osoyoos and

Okanagan Falls Okanagan Falls (also known as OK Falls) is a community located on the south end of Skaha Lake in British Columbia. History The community was founded in 1893 as Dogtown, which was derived from the name Dog Lake ("skaha" means "dog" in the Okanag ...

, and is labelled as the Wine Capital of Canada by Tourism British Columbia. It was once "The Home of the Cantaloupe" as well as the "Home of the International Horseshow." The community of Oliver is made up of land governed by three different bodies: the Town of Oliver, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the Osoyoos Indian Band. Local industries include

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

and

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

production, agri-tourism, wine production,

ranching A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most ofte ...

, 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.

Origin of name

Named after John Oliver (1856–1927),

Premier of British Columbia Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of gov ...

. "Honest John" and his

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

brought

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

and settlement lots to the area with the South Okanagan Lands Project. The name of the area of this locality in the native

Okanagan language Okanagan, or Colville-Okanagan, or Nsyilxcən (n̓səl̓xcin̓, n̓syilxčn̓), is a Salish language which arose among the indigenous peoples of the southern Interior Plateau region based primarily in the Okanagan River Basin and the Columbia ...

is ''N̓k̓mip''.

History

The people of the

Syilx The ''Syilx'' () people, also known as the Okanagan, Okanogan or Okinagan people, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the Canada–US boundary in Washington state and British Columbia in the Okanagan ...

Okanagan Nation have lived in the South Okanagan for hundreds if not thousands of years and traditionally moved throughout their large territory to follow seasonal food resources. Many of their camps and village sites were on the shores of the lakes and glacial benches throughout the area. They relied on the

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...

, creeks and

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

s of the Southern Okanagan for their daily lives. The first encroachment from European immigrants came circa 1811, when

fur traders The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most ...

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 and merchants, and boasting a public transportation system. Fairview (just west of 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 1921, Oliver began as a settlement for unemployed veterans of the First World War as part of the Soldier Settlement Act of 1917. A gravity-fed canal was constructed to provide irrigation to the semi-arid area. * On January 30, 1919, the South Okanagan Lands Project (SOLP) began work on the

Intake Dam An intake (also inlet) is an opening, structure or system through which a fluid is admitted to a space or machine as a consequence of a pressure differential between the outside and the inside. The pressure difference may be generated on the ins ...

at the base of

McIntyre Bluff McIntyre Bluff, officially called nʕaylintn since 7 August 2015, is a large ridge of rock, made of gneiss, located south of Vaseux Lake between Okanagan Falls and Oliver in British Columbia, Canada. The bluff rises prominently over the surrou ...

. Over the next eight years the 23 concrete-lined miles of the main canal were dug southward to the boundary. Eighteen and a half feet across the top, five feet deep and delivering 230 cubic feet per second, 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”—now concrete, but originally a -long wood-stave pipe of six and a half-foot-diameter—was constructed. It runs directly beneath the centre of Oliver. The office of the lands project now houses the town office and the building that housed the BC Police built circa 1924 stands today as the Oliver & District Museum. *A

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...

, Board of Trade, and the first official business (a general store) were established in 1921 and the BC government administered the area until 1945 when the

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

was incorporated and a council elected. In 1990, the community's municipal incorporation was upgraded to town, its current status. *In 1922, electrical power was brought to Oliver by the West Kootenay Power and Light Co. *In 1923, the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) constructed a station in Oliver and rails to transport fruit north to Penticton. In 1931, it was leased to the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

. The last train went through Oliver in 1977. The building now sits slightly north of its original position and houses the Oliver Tourism Association and Visitor Centre. *In 1935, Oliver was featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not for the claim that none of the dogs in Oliver had fleas. *In 1990, Oliver held the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

for baking the world's largest cherry pie. *In 2002, on her

Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু� ...

Tour of Canada,

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

gave the Royal assent that Oliver was the Wine Capital of Canada. *Located east of Oliver is Area 27 Motorsports Park, which is the first and only track over 2 miles in Canada west of Ontario. Oliver has been characterized by waves of migrants from different parts of the world. The first non-Indigenous settlers in the area, mostly war veterans and their families, came from the United Kingdom in the 1920s. This was followed by migration from Germany in the 1930s, and Hungarians in the 1940s and 1950s. Immigrants from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

arrived in Oliver starting in the 1950s, and soon owned most of the area wineries and orchards. The most recent migration has been of

Sikh Canadians Canadian Sikhs number nearly 800,000 people and account for 2.1% of Canada's population as of 2021, forming the country's fourth-largest and fastest-growing religious group. The largest Sikh populations in Canada are found in Ontario, followed ...

, many coming from the Lower Mainland and Calgary. As of 2017, Punjabi Sikhs own about 70 per cent of the area orchards and wineries.

Administration of water

* SOLP (1919–1964) South Okanagan Lands Project – established by the Province of BC 1921 and run by provincial government employees for over forty years. In the spring of 1964 the Oliver/Osoyoos Fruit Growers' Association was informed that the province was getting out of the irrigation business. * SOLID (1964–1989) South Okanagan Lands and Irrigation District – On June 25, 1964 the Fruit Growers' Association volunteered itself to be the cornerstone of the locally constituted South Okanagan Lands Irrigation District which operated the system until 1989. * Oliver Water (1989 to present) Town of Oliver – The water district was divided into two parts to be run by municipal governments. The Towns of Oliver and Osoyoos now deliver nineteen billion imperial gallons—nearly one hundred billion litres—to the Valley's parched soils annually. 1990 saw the election of Water Councillors in both communities—a first in BC.

Airport

* CAU3 Paved Hard Surface 3200 ft by 50 ft * Elevation: 1015 ft * VFR - Lighted strip * Owned by Town of Oliver Coordinates: * Lat 49-10.24 N * Lon 119-33.04 W * Home to Oliver Flying Club (terminal and hangars), Okanagan Kootenay Air Cadet Gliding Program, VMR Aviation, Transwest Helicopters, Oliver Fire Department, Oliver-Osoyoos Search and Rescue and Big Horn Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultu ...

, Oliver had a population of 5,094 living in 2,312 of its 2,445 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 4,928. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. *Town of Oliver: 4928 *Regional District Area 'C': 3473 *Osoyoos Indian Band: 900

Ethnicity

Oliver has seen waves of immigration from the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alb ...

, and Southern Asia since non-Indigenous settlement began approximately 100 years ago. With the construction of an irrigation canal to encourage settlement at the behest of former

premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

John Oliver, the community was originally built for British immigrants and

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

s returning from the

First world war World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

during the 1920s. Following the initial British migration wave were

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

and

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...

who first migrated to Oliver between the 1930s and 1950s, followed by Portuguese immigrants between the 1950s and the 1970s, and finally

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The ter ...

from the 1980s into the contemporary era. Today, Oliver's major communities – Indigenous, Portuguese, Caucasian, and Sikhs live in cultural and social silos, with little or no informal social interaction other than in schools, shopping centres and work places.

Language

According to the 2011 Census, 79.57% of Oliver's population have

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

mother tongue A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tong ...

;

is the

of 5.21% of the population, followed by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

(2.87%), Portuguese (2.55%),

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

(2.45%), Spanish (0.96%), Dutch (0.74%), Hungarian (0.74%), Russian (0.53%), and

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

(0.53%).Census Profile Oliver, T British Columbia http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=5907014&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=oliver&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Oliver included: *

Irreligion Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and ...

(2,345 persons or 47.3%) *

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

(2,145 persons or 43.2%) *

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

(375 persons or 7.6%) *

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

(20 persons or 0.4%) *

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

(10 persons or 0.2%) *Other (60 persons or 1.2%)

Notable people

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

Laslo Babits Laslo Babits (April 17, 1958 in Oliver, British Columbia – June 12, 2013) was a male javelin thrower from Canada. He competed for his native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, finishing in 8th place. He set h ...

, Competed in javelin at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, finishing in 8th place. Graduate of SOSS *

Bill Barisoff Bill Barisoff is a former BC Liberal The British Columbia Liberal Party, often shortened to the BC Liberals, is a centre-right provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition. Subsequ ...

, former Speaker of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly, graduate of SOSS * George Bowering, First Canadian Poet Laureate, graduate of SOHS *

Patricia Smith Churchland Patricia Smith Churchland (born 16 July 1943) is a Canadian-American analytic philosopher noted for her contributions to neurophilosophy and the philosophy of mind. She is UC President's Professor of Philosophy Emerita at the University of Cali ...

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

and neuroscientist, born in Oliver *

Ross Fitzpatrick David Ross Fitzpatrick (born February 4, 1933) was a Canadian Senator representing the Senatorial district of Okanagan-Similkameen, British Columbia. Born in Kelowna, British Columbia, Fitzpatrick received a Bachelor of Commerce and Business ...

, Canadian Senator (Okanagan-Similkameen), graduate of SOHS *

Cody Kearsley Cody Kearsley is a Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Moose Mason in the CW series '' Riverdale'' and Turbo Pokaski in the Netflix series '' Daybreak''. Career Kearsley debuted in a starring role in ''Borealis'', where he was cr ...

, actor, known for his role as

Moose Mason Marmaduke "Moose" Mason (often referred to as Big Moose) is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. He attends Riverdale High School where he is typically depicted as the best athlete but the poorest student. His difficulties with sch ...

in the popular CW series Riverdale, graduate of SOSS * Corban Knight, ice hockey player for the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

Clarence Louie Clarence Louie is a Canadian First Nations leader and businessman. Louie has been the chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band in British Columbia's Okanagan for ten terms, the first beginning in 1985. He has been credited with contributing to the econ ...

, Chief of Osoyoos Indian Band, Order of BC *

Julie Skinner Julie Lynn Skinner ( Sutton, born April 23, 1968 in Calgary, Alberta) is a retired Canadian curler and Olympic medallist from Victoria, British Columbia. She received a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

, 2002 Bronze Medal at Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah (Kelly Law team) * Alison Smith, CBC TV anchor, graduate of SOSS *

Travis Turner Travis Turner (born May 9, 1987), also known as "Little T" or "T", is a Canadian actor and rapper. Early life Turner was born in the small town of Oliver, British Columbia, and finished high school in Alberta. He began his career at the age of ...

, actor, lead role in the 2011 film Marley & Me: The Puppy Years

Climate

Oliver has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi ...

( BSk) with hot, dry summers and cool winters. Annual snowfall is light, averaging just 18 inches (46 cm). Oliver is amongst the warmest communities in Canada with an average daily mean of 50.5 °F (10.3 °C).

References

External links

* * {{authority control Populated places in the South Okanagan Towns in British Columbia British Columbia populated places on the Okanogan River Populated places in the Okanagan Country 1918 establishments in British Columbia