When Brian Meagher had a very special plan for when he made it to the top of The Crack hiking trail in Killarney Provincial Park on Sept. 28 — proposing to his girlfriend, Tram Nguyen.
With his cousin filming the special moment, Meagher pulled out a ring and popped the question.
“We were at the top, and there was probably a dozen or more people up there,” said Meagher. “I was kind of embarrassed. I didn't want to do it in front of everyone, right? So we went to the side a little bit. And, of course, Tram, she let out a little scream, and then everyone started clapping.”
Meagher said they met almost three years ago through a dating website. Nguyen, who came to Canada from Vietnam to study in 2020, had joined the site as a way to chat with people and practise her English, but she ended up making a love connection with Meagher.
She thought he was very shy, “kind and really patient to me,” although when they met, “my English is not really good,” Nguyen said.
Meagher said he was a bit hesitant, as he’d never really met someone where there was a language barrier, “but we kind of communicated other ways, and it was nice to be with someone who wanted to be there.”
With Nguyen coming from a city in her home country, the outdoor activities in Canada are all new to her, and she has enjoyed exploring them with Meagher.
The couple were working in Stratford, Ont. and decided to take seasonal jobs in Killarney this summer as a “fun adventure.”
Nguyen worked in housekeeping at Killarney Mountain Lodge, while Meagher worked as a cook at the Sportsman’s Inn (which has the same ownership as the lodge).
While in Killarney, they’ve been enjoying all of the outdoor activities that the region has to offer, including kayaking and, of course, hiking.
The couple had already once hiked The Crack, a popular six-kilometre trail, and when family members of Meagher’s came for a visit and wanted to do the trail, he figured it would be the perfect moment to propose.
“I knew I wanted to do it in Killarney, because it's so beautiful there, and I wasn't sure what, exactly, where or how,” Meagher said.
Nguyen said at the top of the trail, Meagher asked her to come over to get their picture taken, and that’s when he popped the question. “When he proposed, ‘Oh my God,’” she said.
Apparently The Crack is a popular spot to get engaged, as after Killarney Mountain Lodge posted their story on their Facebook page, Meagher has heard from several other couples who also got engaged there.
Asked if they have any ideas for their wedding just yet, and whether they might consider Killarney Mountain Lodge, Meagher said they’re not sure, although maybe the resort would give them a discount.
“We know we're going to do something in Vietnam and something here, just so that both of our families can enjoy the day with us,” he said, adding the couple has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for travel costs to Vietnam for the wedding party.
“But beyond that, we don't really know too much.”
