Arts, Culture & Heritage

Darren Robinson

Arts, Culture & Heritage Art learned, art loved, art lived.

Inspiration surrounds Oliver, from sunsets, to the snow-dusted mountain peaks, to vineyards, to music in the air. Our performers act, sing, dance and play all year, your invited to be their audience.

Oliver is a hub of creative talent, and invites you to explore your own. From visual arts to performing arts, there is a whole palette of exhibits and shows to take in year-round. If you feel inspired by the arts yourself, there are plenty of opportunities to develop your own talents. Take a scenic photo tour, set up your easel for landscape painting, or take a cooking class at a winery. Register for a host of local workshops in watercolours, felting, tapestry, and more.

From “sheep to shawl’, Oliver has them all. The area is renowned for its fabric artists, many of whom raise their own herd, spin, card, and dye, their own yarn, as well as creating colourful, award-winning weaves and quilts. Visit the local alpaca farm, then feel the wares of the Desert Sage Spinners and 28

Weavers at Oliver’s country market.

Explore Olivers galleries: Leza Macdonald Art Gallery, the Sage Brushers on Main and many of the wineries exhibiting a feature artist. Grace your walls with award winning art, or fall in love with a new work by a yet-to-be discovered painter.

Stimulate all your senses - including a feast for your eyes. The technicolour beauty of farmer’s orchards and the desert sky inspires painters, sculptors, and other artists to put their best brush forward. Landscapes pose daily for en-pleinair painters.

Take in a concert, take an art class, or take in a movie at our classic, independent film theatre which features the Winter Global Film

Series.

Performing Arts Indoors and out

The Frank Venables Theatre, our performing arts centre, is a new venue for the South Okanagan, home to productions from the adjacent high school and SOAP (South Okanagan Amateur Players), as well as professional touring musicals, dance troupes, and film screenings. Learn more at venablestheatre.ca.

Take a setting sun, mix in some live music, add a dash of fragrant evening air, and enjoy. Outdoor concerts can make a summertime getaway extra special, whether it’s grooving to jazz in the park or catching a band at a local winery. Could be an up-and-coming group of locals, or a Canadian artist hitting the stage. We’ve got the perfect backdrop for an outdoor music gig – from dancing on the lawn with your partner, to sitting on a blanket with a glass of vino and simply relaxing with friends.

Stay in the loop

Early May is the Annual Wine Capital Art Walk, pairing art with wine in our downtown businesses. For more information on the local arts scene, and a complete list of Oliver Festival and events visit oliverartscouncil.org and winecapitalofcanada.com

Leila Kwok Photography

Our Cultural Mosaic

Oliver is composed of many different cultures. The Sylix (Okanagan) First Nation have the longest history here. The Osoyoos Indian Band is an important part of the patchwork that makes up our community. They and many long term families have strong roots set all the way back to pioneer and gold rush days.

Agriculture became, and continues to be, the main industry of the area. Over the years many different cultures have immigrated here bringing their expertise in farming with them. Portuguese, East Asian, and Latin American traditions are all woven into the fabric of our community.

Asymetriq Productions

Over the years the traditions of all these cultures have influenced the art, cuisine and entertainment of the area creating the unique cultural mosaic that is Oliver BC. 2929

Baker Bakery Trays y Trays Fresh CutFresh Cut

Deli TraysDeli Trays

All this and more at

FlowersFlowers

Specialty Cuts ofSpecialty Cuts of

MeatMeat

#105 - 5717 Main St., Oliver, B.C. • 250-498-6440 • Open 8:00am - 9:00pm Daily

250-498-6565

Farm Store & Tours

Call ahead, if we are home, we are open! OLIVER THEATRE Take in a Movie at the 1264 Green Lake Rd, Historic Oliver Theatre! Oliver, BC 6387 Main St 250-498-2277 SunkeyaFarmAlpacas.com www.olivertheatre.ca

Explore Canada’s Desert

OPEN DAILY April – October

Desert Boardwalk Tours Hands-on Interpretive Centre Native Plant Garden

250-495-2470 ~ 1-877-899-0897 www.desert.org

3 km north of Osoyoos off Highway 97

DESERT CENTRE HOURS Late April – May 15 May 16 – Sept 15 Sept 16 – Early Oct 10:00 am – 2:00 pm 9:30 am – 4:30pm 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Before there was Oliver there was the city of Fairview, a boom-and-bust community from Gold Rush times. Explore the original town site just west of Oliver, or visit the actual jail beside the Museum and see how they used to do things in the gold rush days – don’t worry, it’s not used for anything now but photo-ops and tall tales. Oliver’s history is intricately tied to the days of six shooters and dreams of striking it rich, even if those days didn’t last very long. The museum offers a snapshot of earlier days, and is entirely run by volunteers so there’s likely a good story or two waiting for you.

Oliver is said to be born of the water. BC Premier John Oliver (who the town of Oliver is named after) spearheaded the build of the irrigation canal in 1919 bringing water to new farm lands. The irrigation canal made this dry desert landscape the perfect place for growing cantaloupe, other ground crops and tree fruits. Before being known as the Wine Capital of Canada, Oliver was the Cantaloupe Capital. For more information visit the museum and archives or www.oliverheritage.ca The Oliver Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Station operated from 1923 to 1977. The Kettle Valley

Railway (KVR) was given federal charter in 1901 and was leased by the CPR for 999 years in 1913. The rail line was built by the CPR to connect its mainline with the Kootenays by a direct route along the southern border of BC. The line in

Oliver was laid in 1922.

• 1921- 1923 - Construction of the Oliver CPR station.

• October 31, 1934 – Oliver’s station was no longer seasonal. Up until then the station was open only during the summer.

• July 5, 1977 - Last train through Oliver (the tracks between

Okanagan Falls and Osoyoos were closed).

• 1979 - Tracks were pulled up and CPR station closed.

• 1982 - Station moved 200 yards to its present location.

• Sept 19, 1988 - Fire partially destroyed the CPR station and nearby boxcar which was in the process of being restored.

• May 29, 2002 - The Town of Oliver repaired and refurbished the existing CPR station that was previously damaged by fire.

Oliver & District Heritage Society Allen Jones

• Current - The Oliver CPR station is home to the Oliver

Visitor Centre. Come by for a visit!

First Nations

The Okanagan People

The Syilx (Okanagan) First Nations people have been in the Oliver region for thousands of years, and their culture and influence on the region are a critical part of the area’s history, and its future.

Steeped in the bounty of the land and water, the First Nations depended upon and protected the rich agricultural resources in the South Okanagan, depending on nature to provide for their community, from food to medicine to shelter. This living history can be seen in the salmon run that takes place every year, increasing in recent seasons as the Okanagan River is restored.

While exploring Oliver and the surrounding area, take time to read about the continuing influence of the First Nations culture at interpretive signs, in our public art, art galleries, and museums.

Allen Jones