exhibits

Temporary Exhibit Gallery

Watering the Desert: Oliver’s Transformation from Dry Land to Farmland

Discover the story behind Oliver’s orchards and vineyards and how water found its way to the desert

Learn about the construction of the Canal Irrigation Project, the emergence and growth of agriculture and more

Permanent Exhibit Gallery

Deep Roots explores Oliver’s mining past, natural history, Oliver’s community

and culture, First Nations, and more

Historic Fairview Jail — PErmanent Exhibit

Discover the stories of former mining towns Fairview and Camp McKinney

Community Outreach Exhibits

The ODHS Curator develops mini community exhibits throughout the year to make Oliver’s stories more accessible. We currently have an exhibit titled, A Look Inside: Past and Present of the Oliver and District Heritage Society". Be sure to check it out at the Oliver Community Hall!

Thank you to Oliver Parks and Recreation for letting us use their space and the Venables Theatre in the past.

prior community exhibits

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT:

Balls, Bats and Bathing: Oliver’s Leisure History

Small Town Amusements: Oliver’s Entertainment History

Smart, Savvy, Sophisticated: Women of Oliver

Remembrance Day

Heritage Garden

The Oliver and District Heritage Society obtained a grant from the Province of BC's Rural Dividend Fund (Community Capacity Building) to create, design and install a Heritage Garden to improve the Museum lawn and our outdoor exhibits. Thank you to Sagebrush Nursery in Oliver for assisting with this project.

The Heritage Garden opened in May of 2018. The garden uses xeriscaping to conserve water and houses a variety of native and introduced plant species. There is interpretative signage about the natural history and culture of the Oliver region, including information about local landmarks, plants, nearby water sources, and the culture of the sylix Okanagan People.

The garden is fully wheelchair-accessible and a lovely outdoor area to explore. The garden is used for ODHS educational programming in the spring and fall.

With the assistance of the Syilx Language House in Penticton, we completed an interpretive guide about the garden plants and installed interpretive signage around the garden, with plant names in nsyilxcən (the Okanagan language), Latin, and English. Thank you to the Syilx Language House for assisting with this project.