Osoyoos, British Columbia, is a charming town nestled in the southernmost part of the Okanagan Valley. This town, located between Penticton and Omak, is just 3.6 km north of the United States border with Washington state. It is adjacent to the Osoyoos Indian reserve and is home to a population of 5,556 as of 2021. The town's population swells during the summer months with seasonal visitors, and seniors (age 65 and over) make up 43% of the town's population.
The first Europeans to set foot in Osoyoos were fur traders working for the Pacific Fur Company. The Okanagan Valley became a major trade route for supplies to inland forts of British Columbia and furs that were shipped south to the Columbia River and the Pacific to European and Asian markets. The Dewdney Trail, which passed through Osoyoos on its way from Hope to the Kootenays, now forms the backbone of the Crowsnest Highway.
Osoyoos was incorporated as a village in 1946 when the railway arrived and became a town in the 1980s. The railway station house, when discontinued, was purchased from the Town of Osoyoos and moved 300 m north to its current location by the Osoyoos Sailing Club.
Osoyoos is situated on the east-west Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) with a significant ascent out of the Okanagan Valley in either direction. The town is situated on Osoyoos Lake, which has a perimeter of 47.9 km, an elevation of 276 m, a maximum depth of 63 m, and a mean depth of 14 m. The lake’s elevation marks the lowest point in Canada of the Okanagan Valley.
The far southern reaches of the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys are part of a threatened xeric shrubland ecosystem in Canada known as the Columbia Plateau ecoregion. Since 2003, a feasibility study by Parks Canada has been ongoing to determine the need for protection of a large area of grasslands west of the town.
Osoyoos has a cold semi-arid climate with summers that are generally hot and dry. The average daytime temperature in Osoyoos is 17.0 °C, which is the warmest in Canada. Osoyoos also has an average annual temperature of 10.7 °C, which is one of the warmest in the country.
The area continues to produce tree fruits and is a major wine-producing region of Canada. The vast majority of the land in the valley bottom surrounding the town is protected by the Agricultural Land Reserve which prevents valuable agricultural lands from being converted into other uses.
Tourism in the Osoyoos area has become a large contributor to the local economy. Osoyoos Lake is "the warmest freshwater lake in Canada" according to the town of Osoyoos and the BC Parks System, with reported average summer water temperatures of 24 °C. The area is served by four championship golf courses and one nine-hole course.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Osoyoos had a population of 5,556 living in 2,647 of its 3,279 total private dwellings. The town's popularity among retirees is reflected in the age of the average resident at 55.4 years compared to 40.8 years for the rest of the population of British Columbia. The town is served by a high school, Osoyoos Secondary School.
