Yellowknife (July 09/03) - Since Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories, it's not surprising that the city would get a lot of tourists.

What is surprising is the number of inquiries the centre receives from local residents.

Denis Olmstead stands in front of a map of Ingraham Trail that's on the tourist display outside of Northern Frontier Regional Visitors Centre. - NNSL photo Below are a few questions that Northern Frontier employees are always asked. Can you answer them? Where can I find guides to the Old Town walking tour? What does the term Ragged Ass Road mean? Where can I see diamonds get polished? Do the mines give tours? Can you give directions to three restaurants in town? Answers: 1) Northern Frontier front desk. 2) The term means "dirt poor." 3) Gallery of the Midnight Sun 4) Generally, no. 5) Bullock's Bistro, 3534 Weaver Drive; Jose Loco's, 4910-50th Street; Pizza Hut, 312 Old Airport Road

Over 3,700 Yellowknifers dropped by the Northern Frontier Regional Visitors Centre in 2002.

The centre keeps data of the number of walk-in visitors each year.

Last year the centre got a total of 16,435 visitors. Over 7,600 were from across Canada while 1,529 arrived from the United States.

The next largest number of out-of-towners to visit the centre were from Asia. Other visitors came from as far as Germany, Europe, South America, Australia and even Africa.

As of May, the centre has had 3,771 walk-in visitors, a third from the capital.

"We get most of our inquiries during the summer," said Denis Olmstead, regional director.

Northern Frontier also has a list of activities suggested by visitors called the Yellowknife Area Top 100.

Number one on this list is to go boating to a Great Slave Lake island for a picnic.

Other suggestions include taking a "flight seeing" tour of the area, driving down Lois Lane, going bird watching at Niven Lake as well as driving across the ice road to Dettah.

The most common questions asked to the centre's employees are where to eat (Bullock's Bistro was on the Top 100 list), where tourists can camp and what kind of tours Yellowknife offers.

According to Nancy MacNeill, visitors have the most questions about visiting Old Town, seeing diamonds being polished and how Ragged Ass Road got it's name.

"That's a big one," MacNeill said.

The name comes from three local men who jokingly agree to call the dirt road they called home Ragged Ass Road. They put up a sign and the city later adopted the name.

"(They also ask), what's that building back there?" said MacNeill, pointing over her shoulder at a window showing the perfect view of the legislative assembly.