Eddy Haymour is a somewhat misguided visionary whose story is forever tied to Rattlesnake Island on Okanagan Lake.
In the 1970s Haymour decided wanted to build a Middle Eastern theme park on the lake.
He saved up, bought one, and went to work.
A pyramid, a two-storey-tall camel, a submarine, a mechanical Ogopogo that talked to visitors and an 18-hole mini-golf course were all in the works.
Unfortunately for him there were some... well... roadblocks, to say the least.
The government decided to rezone the property and ultimately Haymour felt he had to sell it for below market value.
That's when he decided to go to Lebanon and hold people hostage inside the Canadian embassy there. It's a wild story, and the ending isn't what you would expect it to be.
In this episode of BC Was Awesome we take Eddy's daughter, Fadwa, to visit the island decades after he sold it.
BC Was Awesome is a British Columbia history TV show co-produced by Vancouver Is Awesome and Artaban Productions. A book of the same name is set to be published in time for the province's centennial celebrations in 2021. Watch all of the episodes for free on OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
Eddy Haymour on Rattlesnake Island. Screengrab
