Oliver was established in 1921 by BC Premier John Oliver who had planned it as a settlement for World War I veterans. Located in Canada’s only desert, an irrigation system was built and soon the area was lush and prosperous as a fruit growing area.

Oliver is a lake community located next to Tuc-el-Nuit and Mahoney Lakes. Canoeing, boating, fishing, swimming, windsurfing and many other water sports are popular with visitors and residence alike. Visit one of the many apple, plum cherry, pear, peach and apricot orchards or spend your time skiing, biking or hiking.

If you are looking for a great game of golf then Oliver will not disappoint. It is home to two 18-hole golf courses; Fairview Mountain Golf Course and Inkameep Canyon Desert Golf Course . Both courses have full services, new clubhouses and excellent golf.

Oliver is known as the Wine Capital of Canada and its climate and soil are ideal for growing grapes. Many award wining wines are produced by vineyards located in the Oliver area. The wine industry is growing at an incredible rate and most of the wineries welcome visitors.

Osoyoos, meaning “where the water narrows”, is a good description as the town spans the narrow part of Osoyoos Lake. Osoyoos is also located in Canada’s only desert and you can see both cacti and snakes. It has less than 12 inches of rain per year and over 2,000 hours of sunshine and thus is home to a few endangered species like the Tiger Salamander. If history is your passion, you can visit a 1891 log cabin which has served as a school house, jail and government house during its lifetime. It now serves as the Osoyoos Museum and is known as one of the best small town museums in BC. With plenty of biking, hiking, golf and wineries – Osoyoos is a great stop along your visit to the Okanagan Valley.