The Town of Oliver

The Town of Oliver

Gold miners first came to the Oliver area in the late 1800's in search of gold, but it was the agricultural settlers in the 1920's who stayed and made Oliver a community.  The town is named after a BC premier, John Oliver, who helped provide war veterans with the project of building an irrigation canal which would turn the South Okanagan into a fruit growing belt.  

The area is part of a micro desert.  The hot days and cool evenings provide ideal conditions for growing grapes.  As wineries established themselves along the Golden Mile and Black Sage Road, Oliver began calling itself "The Capital of Wine Country".  

The Festival of the Grape is a popular event during the Fall Wine Festivals in the Okanagan, attracting thousands to the town to watch the grape stomping competition, listen to music  and sample the new releases of about 52 wineries.

Oliver is approximately 25 kms north of the USA border, about four hours driving time from Vancouver and an average one-hour flight from the city of Calgary, AB. With such easy access it is no wonder that Oliver is growing its tourism based on the wine industry and the beauty of the South Okanagan.