Kipling, Sask., throws party for the paper clip that turned into a house

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This article was published 01/09/2006 (7277 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

KIPLING, Sask. (CP) – People from across North America gathered in a small Saskatchewan farming town Sunday to celebrate one red paper clip and the web-smart blogger who turned the office fastener into a house.

At a ceremony on Main Street in front of his new digs, hundreds of townsfolk and tourists alike watched as Kyle MacDonald was given the keys to the town and named honourary mayor for a day.

The price for the home?

One movie role, duly awarded Sunday to 19-year-old Kipling resident Nolan Hubard.

“This has been my dream since I was like 10-years-old,” Hubard said. “I can’t stop shaking. I’m going to pass out.”

It was the final chapter in a year-long online swapping adventure that developed into a cultural phenomenon with a cult-like following and thrust this sleepy Prairie town into headlines around the world.

“All right, let’s clean up this town,” MacDonald said with a laugh as he was presented with a mayoral sash and gavel.

“I guess I need to enact some crazy laws by decree.”

Main Street Kipling was busy all day Sunday.

Musicians played from makeshift stages at either ends of the road while merchants sold souvenirs bearing pictures of the red paper clip that started it all.

Farm machinery was parked along the street to give out-of-towners an up-close taste of rural Prairie life.

People with painted faces roamed the street wearing paper clip necklaces and T-shirts.

MacDonald’s odyssey began last began last July, when, while living in Montreal, he put a red paper clip up for trade on the Internet – a cyber version of a swap game he played as a child.

Corinna Haight from Vancouver offered him a fish pen which promptly went on the trading block.

Haight now wears the paper clip in a frame around her neck.

“It’s kind of crazy,” said Haight, who was in Kipling Sunday. “I guess random acts pay off sometimes.”

MacDonald swapped the pen for a doorknob, then a Coleman stove, a power generator, a keg of beer, a snowmobile, a trip to Yahk, B.C., a cube van, a recording contract, a year’s free lodging in a Phoenix bungalow, an afternoon with rock icon Alice Cooper, and a KISS snow globe.

That’s when actor Corbin Bernsen – the L.A. Law star and avid snow globe collector – got involved, offering up a role in his new movie “Donna On Demand” for the KISS keepsake.

By this time, all the trading had caught the attention of the town of Kipling. Figuring it would be good for economic development, town council purchased a vacant 1920’s Eaton’s catalogue house on Main Street.

They offered it up and MacDonald accepted. The B.C. native and his girlfriend moved from Montreal earlier this summer.

Bernsen held auditions for the movie part in town, seeing about 150 hopefuls for the part, and was on hand Sunday to hand it out.

The tryout was open to anyone from anywhere, but Bernsen said he was happy the winner ended up being from Kipling.

“Nolan – he obviously just has a raw talent and capability,” Bernsen said.

“He’s going to be in the film and I am going to take him to L.A. and try to introduce him to people and get him going.”

MacDonald’s family, especially his parents Colleen and Ian MacDonald, couldn’t be prouder.

“We’re not surprised, honest to God,” said Ian. “When Kyle started doing this just over a year ago Colleen and I, we looked at each other and said ‘why not and why not Kyle?’ He’s the type of person that could pull something like this off.”

MacDonald’s aunt, Evelyn Wright, said she can remember her nephew as a kid who was always full of ideas and information.

“He’s so creative,” Wright said. “I used to call him Radio K-Y-L-E and I would say, ‘Where is your turnoff button?’ because he would just talk, talk, talk, talk, talk.”

The whole adventure has opened up a world of opportunities for MacDonald, his father said.

There’s a book deal and talk of a movie. MacDonald’s brother is now working on a project that will try to duplicate the success of the paper clip swap.