The culture and history of Osoyoos began thousands of years ago with the Aboriginal people of the Okanagan Nation, a branch of the Interior Salish.
It includes the fur trade, establishment of a border crossing and customs house, cattle ranching, gold mining, fruit growing and tourism. Successive waves of immigrants from Portugal and India have contributed to the strong agricultural economy and added to the rich multiculturalism of the community.
The Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB), one of seven member bands of the Okanagan Nation Alliance and recognized as a leader in economic development, holds 12,950ha/32,000ac of reserve lands adjacent to the town.
The OIB is an integral part of the community and operates a number of successful businesses such as Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa, Nk'Mip Cellars winery and Sonora Dunes Golf Course. Look for Aboriginal pictographs at several sites in the region, see artefacts at the Osoyoos Museum and gain insight into the ways of these ancient people and their connection with the land at the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre.
European Settlement
Fur traders regularly trekked through the Okanagan Valley from the early 1800s. Settlement began in 1860, sparked by the discovery of gold, first at Rock Creek west of Osoyoos and then in the Cariboo region to the north.
Judge John Carmichael Haynes
Looking to regulate the influx of miners and supplies and collect duties, the government established a customs house in the region, which was permanently set in Osoyoos in 1861 with Judge John Carmichael Haynes in charge. Cattlemen driving herds north to the mining camps realized the potential of the valley's abundant bunchgrass and accessible water. Haynes also saw the possibilities and began buying cattle and land. Osoyoos is built on land that was part of his huge ranch.
Irrigation and Agriculture
The first orchard was planted in Osoyoos in 1907. When a government project in the 1920s brought water to the west side of the valley via an irrigation canal known as "the ditch," the orchard industry really took off. The area's mild climate allows Osoyoos to produce "the earliest fruit in Canada" each year.
Oldest Vineyards in the Okanagan
Conditions have also proven idea for the cultivation of vinifera grapes. Vines planted on the Osoyoos Indian Reserve in 1968 are some of the oldest in the Okanagan. Extensive vineyards around the area now supply a number of wineries.
Tourism
Osoyoos has been a resort town for generations. It skirts the shoreline of Osoyoos Lake, reputedly the warmest in Canada, and high temperatures coupled with almost no summertime rainfall have made it a popular vacation spot. First Nation, ecotourism and winery attractions have recently broadened the tourism appeal.
Osoyoos Museum
The Osoyoos Museum is a definite surprise. Housed in a former curling rink, it is remarkably large for a community of this size. The expansive space allows for exhibits like a complete log cabin, a fire engine, buckboard, 1900-era pioneer parlour, period dresses and wedding gowns, military artefacts, a vintage dental office, geological display and butterfly collection.
Learn about First Nations culture through exhibits of stone implements, a dugout canoe, basketwork, beadwork and the art of the Inkameep Day School.
Osoyoos Arts & Culture
Arts and culture flourish in Osoyoos. The Osoyoos & District Arts Council represents painters, potters, quilters, photographers and the OSO Players Theatre Group. It presents an annual fall and winter concert series, and hosts the Winter Fair arts and crafts show. See the work of local artists and artisans at the Osoyoos Art Gallery and at private studios like the Clay Studio & Gallery.
Staff at the British Columbia Visitor Centre @ Osoyoos can provide details on what's happening around town. The centre also stocks brochures on the museum, cultural attractions and galleries.
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