Oroville-Osoyoos Border Crossing

Oroville-Osoyoos Border Crossing

The US border inspection station at Oroville, WA as seen in 1997
Location
Country United States; Canada
Location

US Port: 33643 Hwy 97, Oroville, WA 98844

Canadian Port: 202 97th Street, Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V1
Coordinates 49°00′00″N 119°27′42″W / 49.000084°N 119.461757°W
Details
Opened 1861
US Phone (509) 476-2955
Canadian Phone (250) 495-6531
Hours Open 24 hours
Website
http://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/oroville-wa

The Oroville-Osoyoos Border Crossing connects the cities of Oroville, Washington and Osoyoos, British Columbia. This crossing was among the first on the US-Canada Border with border inspection services. Canada first established a Customs office in Osoyoos in 1861. Today it is a busy 24-hour crossing that features a large joint border station that houses both the US and Canadian border inspection services.

History

The Canadian Border Inspection Station at Osoyoos, BC in 1922

The original Canadian border inspection station was situated near the north end of Osoyoos lake in 1861. This location was not very effective, so the building was physically moved into the village of Osoyoos in 1865. The building burned down in 1878, so the Customs officer operated out of his home until his death in 1888.[1] A border station was constructed at the US border in the early 1900s, and was rebuilt around 1930. Finally a brick facility was built around 1952 which remained in use until the joint border station was built in 2003.

The US operated a Customs office in the village of Oroville until 1933, when it built an inspection station and officer housing at the border. This building remained in use until the joint border station was completed in 2003.


See also

References

  1. Kruger, Chrestenza (1935). "Early Days at Osoyoos". The Sixth Report of the Okanagan Historical Society: p76.