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Bert Roach stands in front of the house in Kipling, Sask. |
Updated Sun. Jul. 9 2006 11:24 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
When Kyle MacDonald said he would trade his way up from a red paperclip to a house, it was hard to believe. But he's one swap away from a Saskatchewan home.
"I don't think the car comes with it, which would be kind of cool," said MacDonald, 26, as he showed a photograph of the property to CTV News.
The about-to-be-former Montreal resident will make his 14th -- and likely final -- trade on Wednesday for a two-storey house in Kipling.
"It's got three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, dining room, and one and a half bathrooms. It's cozy, apparently," said MacDonald.
He started his quest on July 12, 2005, posting his appeal on his website One Red Paperclip.
Like many Internet phenomena, news of his plan spread like wildfire.
"It went from a hobby where I played it on a whim to the point where a thousand people were showing up at the website," said MacDonald.
It wasn't long before he found his items getting progressively larger.
"I traded one red paperclip for one fish pen, for one doorknob, for one camping stove..." said Macdonald, listing off a chain of improbable swaps.
Eventually, he was able to offer a movie role for the house, dealing with the entire town of Kipling.
"When I got this offer, it was mind blowing. I've never lived in Saskatechewan, and I've never been to Kipling," said MacDonald.
The movie is called Donna on Demand and is scheduled to start filming in the fall.
According to MacDonald's website, the trade will include room and board during filming, and return airfare from anywhere in the world -- in this case, Kipling.
The town will hold auditions for which resident gets to try their hand at staring in a Hollywood film. Kipling's population is 1,140, so the auditions could take some time.
The town's mayor seemed happy with the upcoming trade.
"We're going to do our best to use the publicity that we get from this to let people know what a great place Saskatchewan is to live," said Bert Roach.
The film's director is actor Corbin Bernsen of L.A. Law fame. He traded the role for a KISS snow globe, to add to his extensive collection of the round ornaments.
In a series of strange events, MacDonald said it was one of the weirdest.
With a report by CTV's Genevieve Beauchemin
