20th Annual Spirit of Oliver Awards Nominations

The 20th Annual Spirit of Oliver Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, April 25th, 2025. Nominations will be open from Friday, January 10th, 2025 to Friday, March 14th, 2025.
Volunteers are the backbone of our community. Their tireless efforts and willingness to share knowledge, expertise, and experiences enriches the lives of many. The Spirit of Oliver Awards celebrate and recognize the dedication and generosity of the many volunteers that bring our town together.
Nominations are received for the following award categories:
Community Roots Award: This award honours individuals or groups that have resided in greater Oliver including Osoyoos Indian Band lands who characterise the definition of heritage: “that which we have inherited, value, believe in, and wish to keep”. This individual is known for their dedication and support of the development of the framework of greater Oliver either towards the preservation of Oliver’s natural environment, historical architecture and cultural heritage through conservation projects, education, awareness, or advocacy.
Group Award: This award recognizes a community group or organization that demonstrates outstanding volunteer contributions to the community.
Youth Award: This award recognizes an individual between the ages of 12 - 18 years old who has demonstrated a commitment to our community through extraordinary volunteer contributions.
Individual Adult or Couple Award: This award recognizes an individual or couple 18 years of age or older who has demonstrated a commitment to our community through extraordinary volunteer contributions.
Community Builder Award: This award recognizes an individual or group that through voluntary activities promotes growth and development of individuals or public spaces, and has left a legacy that improves our community and enhances the quality of life of individuals of greater Oliver.
History
The Oliver Good Citizen Award was donated in 1950 by the Junior Chamber of Commerce. The first recipient of this award was Harold Wright.
In 1961, the Junior Chamber of Commerce ceased to exist, and the trophy was reintroduced in 1966 by the Oliver Board of Trade, later to be renamed “Oliver Chamber of Commerce”.
In 1990, it was decided to make two presentations; one to honour the pioneers who have helped to establish our community and the other to honour our more recent good citizens.
Hence two plaques: “The Citizen Award” and “The Pioneer Award”.
2023 Winners
Community Roots | Dave Janzen |
Individual Adult | Merrill Bjerkan |
Group | Red Cross Oliver |
Youth | Lena Berukoff |
Community Builder | Cathryn Pidduck |