From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oliver, British Columbia, Canada

Motto:
Oliver, British Columbia, Canada.
Census division
Regional District	Okanagan-Similkameen
Area:	4.88 km²
Founded
Incorporated	1945
Population Town population	4,229 (2001)
Population density	866.6/km²
Time zone	Pacific: UTC -8
Postal code span	V0H 1T0
Latitude Longitude	49°10′59″N, 119°33′1″W
Elevation	m MSL
Highways	Highway 97
Waterways	Okanagan River
Mayor
Governing body	Oliver Town Council
1(sc) According to the Canada 2001 Census. 2(gr) Geographic references.

Coordinates: 49°10′59″N, 119°33′1″W

Oliver, British Columbia, is a small town located in the South Okanagan. Known officially 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.

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.

Oliver was named after John Oliver, the premier of British Columbia(1918-1927). It is located in the Osoyoos-Arid Biotic Zone, the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert and Canada's only true 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.

v • d • e

Subdivisions of British Columbia

Regional districts	Alberni-Clayoquot · Bulkley-Nechako · Capital · Cariboo · Central Coast · Central Kootenay · Central Okanagan · Columbia-Shuswap · Comox-Strathcona · Cowichan Valley · East Kootenay · Fraser Valley · Fraser-Fort George · Greater Vancouver · Kitimat-Stikine · Kootenay Boundary · Mount Waddington · Nanaimo · North Okanagan · Northern Rockies · Okanagan-Similkameen · Peace River · Powell River · Skeena-Queen Charlotte · Squamish-Lillooet · Stikine · Sunshine Coast · Thompson-Nicola
Principal urban centres	Abbotsford · Kamloops · Kelowna · Nanaimo · Prince George · Vancouver · Victoria
Large suburban communities	Burnaby · Coquitlam · Delta · Langley Township · North Vancouver District · Richmond · Saanich · Surrey
Other major centres	Campbell River · Chilliwack · Courtenay · Cranbrook · Fort St. John · Penticton · Port Alberni · Salmon Arm · Vernon

List of communities · Subdivisions of:  AB · SK · MB · ON · QC · NB · NS · PEI · NL · YU · NT · NU

This British Columbia location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.