Oliver

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OLIVER

Province : British Columbia

Official blazon

Arms : Vert on a fess nowy between in chief two apples each enclosed within a horseshoe ends upward and in base an apple surmounting a miner's pick and a branding iron in saltire all Or a bar wavy nowy Azure charged with a sun in splendour Or.
Crest: Issuant from a mural coronet Or charged with a frieze of grape leaves Vert the head of a Salish woman Proper wearing a coronet Or heightened with two eagles wings per bend Or and Gules.
Supporters: On a field Or set with sagebrush plants (Artemisia tridentata) Proper rising above barry wavy Azure and Argent dexter a California bighorn ram Or attired and unguled Vert gorged with a collar of Okanagan tartan proper sinister a mare Or maned and unguled Vert gorged with a like collar.
Motto: BORNE OF THE WATERS BLEST BY THE SUN

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on April 20, 1995.

The central facets of these arms recall the geography and history of the Town of Oliver. The green represents the land as it was brought to life by the waters of the South Okanagan Irrigation Project. The wavy band of blue symbolizes the channel running through the dry lands. The sun is another essential ingredient for growth and is a major element in Oliver's quality of life. The apple with the horseshoe motif recalls one of the town's earlier emblems, honouring the first orchards and the horsepower that played a pivotal role in early agriculture and transportation. The miner's pick recalls the mining activities in the nearby hills that immediately preceded establishment of the present town site. The branding iron recalls the economic importance of cattle ranching in the town's history.

The mural coronet establishes that these arms belong to a municipality. The frieze of grape leaves refers to the newest agricultural product in the region. The head of the Salish woman serves as a reminder that the valley in which the Town of Oliver is located was the homeland of the Salish Nation. The eagle wings are taken from a key element in the McIntyre coat of arms and thus honour Peter McIntyre, the namesake for the McIntyre Bluff and Oliver's first orchardist.

The California big horn sheep symbolizes Oliver's natural setting, and the mare is a reference to the importance of the early pioneers. The sheep and mare wear collars consisting of the Okanagan tartan. The tartan draws on the domestic arts and the ingenuity of citizens as they shape their community. The field and sage plants upon which the supporters stand are a reference to the local fields as they would have been before irrigation. The wavy bands of blue and white represent the waters of the irrigation project.

The motto salutes Oliver's beginnings and one of its greatest attractions, the sunny climate.

Literature : Image from http://www.gg.ca