history of the canal (ditch) project

ODHS Archival Photos: Top to bottom, left to right: 2010.007.007, OLP.982.78.004, 2010.007.014, 2024.4.1

For over 10,000 years the sylix Okanagan Indigenous peoples have inhabited and used the land and waterways in Oliver and the Okanagan Valley for hunting and gathering purposes, and this continues today.

One of the earliest records of ‘’settlers’’ engaging in agriculture and irrigation within the Okanagan Valley dates back to the 1890’s with Chung Wu, an immigrant from China. He built a waterwheel alongside the Okanagan River to water vegetables in his garden; these vegetables were sold at the nearby mining towns of Fairview and Camp McKinney. Chung Wu left the area after a flood affected his crop, leaving him unable to restart his business.

The Irrigation Canal (‘’Ditch’’) Project was initiated by BC. Premier John Oliver (1918-1927) and his government to help support returning World War One veterans who were often unemployed and impoverished. The Oliver region has a dry, semi-arid climate, and Premier Oliver sought to harness the agricultural potential of the land. Veterans would be provided with work constructing the canal in exchange for discounted land to farm, supporting the drive to grow more fresh produce in post-war BC. The plan became known as the South Okanagan Lands Project (SOLP). The ‘’Ditch’’ started just north of Gallagher Lake and stretched south towards the US border; upon completion it was over 40 km long and was gravity fed by utilizing the natural slopes of the land. Nine labour or ‘’Ditch’’ Camps were established for construction workers to live in, providing all the necessary amenities. The camps each housed up to 150-300 men. Very few women are recorded as being employed on the canal, with none on physical construction.

When the canal was complete several of the workers bought land to farm and began growing various crops of fruit and vegetables. Cantaloupe was a very successful early crop, and Oliver became known as ‘’Home of the Cantaloupe.’’ Immigrants from Europe and elsewhere travelled to Oliver to farm. Today agriculture remains an important aspect of the local economy.

Even though the canal greatly benefited the local community, it negatively impacted the natural environment, altering the hydrology and challenging the area’s wildlife. The canal was damaged by multiple flooding incidents, and to mitigate this the Okanagan River was straightened and widened in the 1950’s, with dams built to control water levels. These actions further harmed local flora and fauna; but especially Salmon numbers in the river. In order to address this environmental problem, the Okanagan Nation Alliance Fisheries Department (ONAFD) teamed with an inter-agency partnership including the Osoyoos Indian Band, the Town of Oliver, and the Province of BC; conducting a serious assessment of this issue, culminating in a report and action plan in the early 2000’s. The end result of this process was the construction of a fish screen to divert Salmon from entering the canal, and the partial restoration of the natural landscape by the creation along the river of eddies, riffles and pools.

Today the ‘’Ditch’’ remains a primary source of irrigation for the orchards and vineyards throughout the Southern Okanagan Valley around Oliver. Portions of the original canal remain intact, but with updated technology including powered pumping stations now engaged. The canal was certainly an impressive engineering marvel in the 1920’s, and continues today as the lifeline of the community.

To learn more about this engineering marvel, click on the video below