Washington visitors discover Osoyoos as Canadian tourism shifts

The briefing

Osoyoos, Canada's only desert environment and home to Osoyoos Lake, is seeing an influx of Washington state visitors. While the town's population swells from 5,500 to 25,000 during peak season, local tourism has faced hurdles due to the weak Canadian exchange rate and wildfire smoke. Local businesses like the Osoyoos Home Hardware continue to draw strong crowds from both sides of the border despite broader economic challenges.