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Background
Information on F Our
Near Term Future: 2001 Oliver claimed
the title of 'Wine Capital of Canada' based on: our
13 wineries (about 10% of Canada's total)
~ 2400 acres under wine
grape (about 23% of Canada's total), - more than our share of
national awards (Wine Access magazine recently
awarded Tinhorn Creek Vineyards' 1998 Merlot the
Best Red Wine in Canada) - internationally trained
wine makers. Our new and still developing
emphasis on wine tourism also reveals something
about: - our climate (lots of
sunshine, hot summers, warm spring and fall),
- our physical appearance
(lush vineyards and orchards irrigated by wells and
the Okanagan River), - our peaceful, small town
rural nature (~ 4,300 people live in town and
another ~ 4,300 people live in the adjacent rural
area). Our postal code is V0H 1T0,
which our residents have aptly translated
as Valley of Heaven In The
Okanagan. Housing: Housing is still inexpensive
although realtors in our community say they have
been experiencing a huge increase in interest in
residential properties for several months now
fueled in part by our wine tourism, in part by
'baby boomers' looking to retire and in part by the
events of September 11th, 2001. Commercial and Industrial
Properties and Business For Sale: Some commercial properties
on our main street (Highway 97) are available for
lease or for sale. Businesses for sale include a
gift shop, a small grocery store, a hotel, and a
craft/pottery shop. A few industrial properties
near the down town core are also available for
lease or for sale. Major Employers (more
than 100 employees) ¸ K & C
Silviculture (tree seedlings), ¸ General Coach (RVs,
5th wheels and trailers), ¸ Okanagan Similkameen
Growers Co-op, ¸ The South Okanagan
General Hospital, and ¸ The School
District. The Osoyoos Indian Band
(based in Oliver) is also becoming one of the
largest employers in the area through its
conglomerate of companies and its very progressive
economic development focus. Amenities - 18 kilometer hike and bike
path - A few wonderful
restaurants - A few interesting
boutiques - A small lake (no power
boats allowed) - Two terrific 18 hole golf
courses, - The aforementioned
river - Ice arena - Curling rink - Baseball
diamonds - Tennis courts - Good community
hall - Two ski hills
nearby - A lakeside resort, RV
parks, 1 hotel, 1 inn, motels, 11 bed &
breakfast operations - Some of the best bird
watching in Canada - Three elementary
schools - A high school with a
wonderful auditorium - A hospital - A great little movie
theatre that sponsors two foreign film festivals
each year - Launching points for hang
gliders - Excellent rock climbing
nearby - Some care facilities for
the elderly Many people are choosing to
retire here for all of the above reasons and more
(the dry climate appeals to many with health
problems) so our population statistics reflect a
high percentage of seniors, empty nesters and baby
boomers. Transportation By road, we are
about: - 15 minutes from Osoyoos
and the US border, - 30 minutes from Penticton,
- 90 minutes from Kelowna,
- 3 hours from Spokane, and
- 4 and _ hours from
Vancouver. We have approximately 6,000
vehicles per day traveling through the community in
the summer months.- We have a 3,200' paved
runway for aircraft (with radio controlled
lighting) and there are commercial airports at
Penticton and Kelowna. - High Speed
Communications A cable company serves our
high-speed communications needs at present. Two
companies have fiber optic lines running through
our town; access to their local hubs is being
negotiated. ADSL service arrives June 29,
2002.-- Safety and Security
Issues In the wake of Sept 11 we
observe that our community has the
following things going for it:
¸ we produce our own
food (and wines); ¸ we have an abundance
of water; ¸ we have a small power
plant but are not near any major power dams;
¸ we are an easy drive
away from major cities but are not close
enough to be affected by any
catastrophic events there; ¸ we have 4 ways of
getting in or out of the community by road (north
on Highway 97, south on the same, east on a partly
paved, partly gravel road and west on a gravel
road).- Taxation Our taxes are comparable to
other communities in the south Okanagan (at
the low end of taxes in
BC.- Worthy Of
Note This small community is the
headquarters for two organizations that are
internationally renowned. World Neighbours Canada
is a non-sectarian development agency supporting
grass-roots community initiatives to alleviate
hunger, disease and poverty in Asia and Latin
America. The Okanagan Gleaners is also a
non-profit society (whose members are 'lay people'
of the Christian faith) that produces millions of
servings of dried soup-mix and fruit leather
gathered from produce that is grown in this area
but otherwise would not be harvested for a variety
of reasons. The servings are donated to reputable
relief organizations throughout the world. It is
estimated that volunteers in this community gave
the equivalent of $7 million worth of services and
labour for hundreds of good causes in
2001. For More
Information There are three web sites
you can visit for a good look at our community:
¸ www.oliverbc.ca
(the Town of Oliver) ¸
www.oliverchamber.bc.ca (the Oliver and District
Chamber of Commerce) ¸
www.oliverchronicle.com (the Oliver Chronicle - our
local weekly paper). We can mail you a copy of
our Community Profile, a compendium of population
and labour force statistics, a copy of the
Chronicle's 'Focus on Business in the Wine Capital
of Canada' - printed in November 2001, a map, a
tourism guide and brochures. Our two Chamber staff (Joan
Thompson - Manager, and Louise Szalay - Assistant
Manager) are both long time residents and know a
lot about the skills, interests and experience of
local residents that might also be applied to a new
business. They can be contacted at
498-6321. Thanks for your interest in
our community. Patrick Deakin Economic Development
Officer Phone (250) 498-3404 ext
205 Fax (250) 498-4466 email:
edc@oliverbc.ca |
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