By Lyonel Doherty
The Town of Oliver has given the thumbs up to a tour group seeking to operate in the area.
Last Monday, Ogopogo Valley Tours Inc. made a presentation to council about special authorization they need from the Ministry of Transportation.
The company currently provides sightseeing and wine tours from Peachland to Osoyoos, in addition to chartering a 14-passenger sightseeing van for special events.
Tour operator Darren Sweet said they will be applying for special authorization for their luxury hybrid Sedan, plus a medium sized van.
“We may be the first carbon-neutral tour operator in Canada,” Sweet said.
Co-operator Adonica Sweet said the special authorization will allow them to provide this service for groups of two or more, where the van requires at least four guests to make the longer tours feasible.
“We are not intending to compete with the Oliver/Osoyoos operators for local tours,” she said.
Adonica noted their focus will be customized tours for guests in the Summerland area wanting to see the South Okanagan, and for Oliver/Osoyoos guests wanting to see Summerland.
Passenger-directed tours and residential pickup will be a special feature of the service.
The company will also provide airport transportation to Penticton and Kelowna. This will reduce the cost and increase the convenience of fly-in visits to the South Okanagan.
Mayor Ron Hovanes said he looks forward to seeing the vehicles in the area.
