Eddy Haymour’s daughter announced his passing this morning, and few people will leave a mark on the region like he did.

Haymour bought Rattlesnake Island in the 1970s and his feud with the government over his vision for the island is the stuff of legend. He was born on March 2, 1930, and died this morning, Nov. 4, at the age of 96.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share the sudden passing of my father, Eddy Haymour,” Fadwa Haymour said on social media. “He was a visionary and a champion of justice. Never a man to do anything on a small scale.

“From buying Rattlesnake Island in 1971 to creating Castle Haymour. Eddy launched a historic fight to protect his property, rights and honour. His decades of perseverance proved to everyone who watched that conviction and truth are worth standing up for.”

Haymour came to Canada from Lebanon in the 1950s and he wanted to turn Rattlesnake Island into a Middle Eastern theme park. The government quashed his efforts and a years-long fight ensued where he had to sell the island to the government.

Eventually Eddy stormed the Canadian embassy in Beirut with his cousins, armed with machine guns to demand the government give him back his island. His vision for the theme park never came to fruition.

The island wasn’t his only venture in the Okanagan. He created Castle Haymour, a Middle Eastern themed bed and breakfast where he hosted iconic parties that guests remembered for decades.

Fadwa honoured his story this past summer with boat tours that showed people the landmarks of Eddy’s tumultuous story.

“He created unforgettable memories and history. He left behind a footprint that few could ever match,” Fadwa said. “He will be missed beyond measure, but his story, his island, his castle, and his unbreakable spirit live on in all of us.”