For anyone with even an inkling of the local art scene, Claudia Punter’s name would surely ring a bell.
In fact she’s so familiar – both from her own artistic endeavours along with her stint as curator of The Art Gallery Osoyoos – that I’m stunned when she says she’s only been painting for about 10 years.
The Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue (OOSAR) successfully rescued two adult hikers on July 1 after the pair had become lost after going off route in the McKinney Nordic Ski Area.
For West Kootenays artist Joie Pare art has always been a part of her life, drawing and sketching since she was virtually a toddler. But in all the intervening years she never pursued the full potential her artistic talent, that was at least until she moved to the Kootenays.
The race to become Osoyoos’ next mayor is heating up, months in advance, with a second person declaring his interest in the top council job, this time in the form of an incumbent councillor.
Images from Canada Day / Cherry Fiesta 2026
Oliver’s Music in the Park returns this week with eight summer concerts planned for the Oliver Community Park Stage.
Four industry associations from BC’s tree fruit and wine grape sectors are joining forces in a bid to address the common challenge of labour through a jointly led Regional Labour Coordination Project.
Fundraising efforts to support new equipment purchases and housing for medical staff at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) have reached a major milestone, in near record time, with the SOGH Campaign passing the halfway point of its $2 million fundraising goal.
Two individuals are wanted by police in the South Okanagan on multiple criminal charges, with Crime Stoppers South Okanagan-Similkameen asking for the public’s assistance in locating the two men.
Osoyoos’s popular hockey twins will get the opportunity to begin their pro hockey careers together, following a special milestone for both boys this past weekend.
The Town of Osoyoos is reminding Canada Day/Cherry Fiesta goers that the annual Canada Day Cherry Fiesta Water Fight with the Firefighters starts at 10:50 a.m. on July 1, before the main parade (and unofficially at the end of the parade when the fire trucks return to close out the parade).
Interior Health has advised that the emergency department at the South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) in Oliver will be temporarily closed from 5 p.m., Friday, June 26 to 10 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 2026.
The Hearts for Heroes event featuring the world-famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride this coming August is moving along smoothly, according to Osoyoos’ Tammy Herman, who is the lead organizer.
The first look at overhaul plans for the centrepiece of Osoyoos’s parks system was offered to Council earlier this month, showcasing how it will continue to be the community’s heartbeat for generations to come.
The Parks and Trails Master Plan update presented to an Osoyoos council committee this week aims to ensure the town’s trail and parks system continues to meet the changing needs of residents as the community evolves.
The Town of Oliver is seeking public input towards its draft Filming Policy which aims to balance economic benefits with community concerns.
The Ministry of Environment and Parks has advised that the chemical spilled on Hwy. 3/Main St. from the Osoyoos Trestle Bridge west, while strong smelling, is not classified as a hazardous material and will be left as it is.
Interior Health has advised that the emergency department at the South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) in Oliver will be temporarily closed from 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 23 to 7 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
For years, I’ve driven past Best Cellar Books and Tours (Soon to be re-labelled Best Cellar Bistro) at 8901 Main Street in Osoyoos, located in the same building as Diamond Steakhouse and directly across from Smitty’s.
JF Kustoms’ award-winning 1964 Buick Riviera “Rivision” was one of a select 100 speciality cars invited to the 31st Annual Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance in Beverly Hills on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21.
An early reprieve from wildfires has now started to erode with a handful of wildfires in the Interior highlighting the rapid impact on the already dry landscape that a few days of hot and dry weather can have.
Funding for water projects in the Town of Oliver, and in particular an aging irrigation facility, is set to rely less on loans and more on grant revenue after Council voted to move in a different direction on project financing.
Five cousins and three generations of the creative Evans family, who originally settled in the Oliver area in 1926, have gotten together to hold an art show at the Quails Nest Gallery.