Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Fort McPherson (July 23/01) - The flyers started going up on community corkboards across the MacKenzie Delta weeks ago. William Carson and Brenda Koe had already tied the knot, but were having their wedding vows blessed at Saint Matthew's Anglican church in Fort McPherson.

Spectators at the Koe-Carson ceremony threw what seemed like an entire paddy of rice as the couple stood on the steps of Saint Matthew's Anglican Church in Fort McPherson. The couple invited the entire Mackenzie Delta to the service. - Kevin Wilson/NNSL photo

The entire region was invited to attend the festivities.

For the sake of context, consider that Fort McPherson has a population of about 900. You can drive to the hamlet from Tsiigehtchic and Inuvik, populations 162 and 3,304 respectively. What would have happened if a third of the population had shown up for the event? Did the bride and groom ever have a moment where they worried that a horde would descend upon the community?

Nope. "That would have been wonderful," said Carson. "If a thousand people had shown up, we would have been thrilled."

Whatever the case, Saint Matthew's was practically filled to standing-room-only status. All the pews in the church were filled, and the plastic chairs used to accommodate larger crowds dwindled rapidly.

When the ceremony was over, a beaming John Kendo, who gave away the bride, said he "never worried" about too many people showing up.

Carson, originally from Britain, arrived in Canada some 20 years ago. He gradually worked his way north, and met his best man in Whitehorse last year. "He invited me to visit him in Fort McPherson." He met Koe not long after that.

After a feast of turkey, ham, and traditional foods like dry meat, the groom said he and his wife were looking forward to taking their honeymoon in Whitehorse.

The rest of Delta is not invited.