view the Visitor Guide - Destination Osoyoos

Families and empty nestersWhy spend just a week or two in Osoyoos when you couldlive here all year round? Whether you’re a young family, aprofessional couple whose children have grown or retirees,Osoyoos could be your all-seasons residence. Osoyoos isone of Canada’s most friendly, lifestyle-rich communities.We have something to offer year-round for people of allages and interests, from water, snow and golf lovers to wineconnoisseurs, outdoor adventurists and culture seekers.Besides schools and a library, Osoyoos has outstandingamenities which include ball parks, tennis courts, squashcourts, an indoor arena, curling rink and the SonoraCommunity Centre, complete with a full-size gymnasium anda separate work-out gym. There are churches, medical clinics,dentists, banks and a full variety of retail stores for yourevery need. Above all, there’s Osoyoos’ unique character andcharm, the hallmark of this extraordinary town. In addition,there is a hospital in nearby Oliver, only 22 kilometres away;an airport and hospital in Penticton, 61 kilometres away.Osoyoos offers a broad selection of new condominiums,beach townhouses and established homes, planned andbuilt by experienced developers and local licensed trades.Alternatively, you could buy a lot now and build your dreamhome. Local skilled tradespeople and builders are availableto make it happen!SnowbirdsHome for the winterThey flock to Osoyoos from all points east: Alberta,Saskatchewan and Manitoba -- and even Nova Scotia andPEI -- every January to March. They’re affectionately knownas Snowbirds, and they have at least one thing in common:they LOVE Osoyoos! More than 400 Snowbirds call Osoyooshome every winter, and they are warmly welcomed by ourcommunity every year.“We appreciate the warm welcome we always get when wecome to Osoyoos. We find that the people are very friendly,and we really appreciate the at-home feeling we get whenwe stay. Osoyoos is a small community, like the communitywhere we come from, and that small town hospitality is whatmakes us feel comfortable and happy here.”“There is so much to see, and so much to do in Osoyoos. It is trulya unique destination in Canada, and as proud Canadians, welook forward to many more visits in the years to come. Thankyou, Osoyoos, for the warm welcomes!”Gone to the birdsBring binoculars! The Okanagan Valley’s diverse landscape,ranging from marshes to dry desert, makes it one of thebest places in Canada to birdwatch. There is an abundanceof rare and endangered birds here. Almost 300 species canbe identified, two-thirds of which breed here. Depending onthe habitat, you can spot great blue herons, woodpeckers,warblers, raptors, white-tailed ptarmigan and the borealchickadee among many others.The area surrounding Osoyoos is an important migratoryroute and also features the South Okanagan GrasslandsProtected Area around Kilpoola and Blue Lakes as thepremiere birding “hot spot”. Nearby Mount Kobau, AnarchistMountain and the West Osoyoos Benchlands also providestunning vistas and bird viewing. Haynes Point ProvincialPark and the Osoyoos Oxbows host numerous species intheir wetlands. The Golden Mile Trail, 16 kilometres north ofOsoyoos, is part of the National Bluebird Trail and VaseauxLake, 35 kilometres north, is the site of a bird sanctuary andsummer banding station.Pick up a copy of the Okanagan Valley Birding Trail Bookletat the B.C. Visitor’s Centre where Highway 97 meets Highway3, highlighting 17 birding sites within a 35 kilometre radius ofdowntown Osoyoos.Loving the lakes …Clear, glistening lakes welcome visitors to Osoyoos andarea. For fishers, an invitation to drop a line into OsoyoosLake or any of the other nearby lakes and rivers is enticing.For swimmers and water sport enthusiasts, Osoyoos Lakeis pure pleasure. Many have made a trip to Osoyoos theirsummer tradition! It’s an active person’s paradise with safebuoyed swim areas, a marina, parks and boat trailer parking.Whether extreme boarding, sublime sailing or the new trendof stand up paddling, all is possible in Osoyoos. If relaxing isyour thing, you can look forward to soft golden sand on sundrenchedbeaches.Fish a’plentyAnglers love Osoyoos Lake, stocked with a multitude ofspecies year-round. Novice fishers can throw a line for panfish in the lake’s shallow bays; more experienced anglers cantest their skills for trophy bass and trout. Fish found hereinclude large and smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, blackcrappie, brown bullhead, yellow perch, carp and sockeyesalmon at certain times of the year.25WELCOME TO OSOYOOS 2013 Official Visitor’s GuideOsoyoos Lake Fish EatingRainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass,Kokanee Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Brown Bullhead,Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Sunfish, CarpOther Good Local Fishing SpotsTuc-el-Nuit Lake - Smallmouth Bass, CarpVaseux Lake - Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth/Largemouth Bass,Sunfish, Crappie, PerchSimilkameen River - Rainbow TroutFishing licenses available online at fishing.gov.bc.ca.