Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Inuvik (July 30/01) - Janelle Frost is often the first person visitors encounter when they come to Inuvik. From her vantage point at the Western Arctic Regional Visitors Centre, Frost puts people in touch with tour guides, gives directions, and shows off what the Beaufort Delta has to offer visitors.

Janelle Frost (right), seen here with co-worker Kathleen Allen, is often the first person visitors to Inuvik encounter. She works at the Western Arctic Regional Visitors Centre. - Kevin Wilson/NNSL photo

It's the second summer in a row at the centre for the 19-year-old Frost. When she's not back home in Inuvik, Frost studies hospitality and tourism in Red Deer, Alta. at Red Deer Community College.

She also spent a year in a recreation leader program.

"Somehow," says Frost, "the two (programs of study) are going to meet somewhere down the road."

Roads figure heavily into Frost's job. After long trips from Whitehorse and points south, tourists often have just one question for her.

"They come in and they say, 'We're finally here, we're dusty, where can we get a hot shower," says Frost.

Sometimes, they gripe, too. "When they don't complain about the dust, they complain about the mud."

The busiest period of the tourist season, which coincided with the end of the Great Northern Arts Festival, just ended for Frost. On average, between 80 and 120 visitors passed through the doors of the Visitors Centre every day. Nowadays, it's down to about 30 or 40.

"That's really slow," says Frost. She thinks this may be due to the cool and rainy weather that descended on the town a few days ago.

"People were in here a lot during the warm weather," says Frost. "I think it might have been because we have air conditioning."