He was shocked to receive a call from NWT Arctic Tourism telling him he won a $12,000 trip for two to the Northwest Territories.

"I couldn't believe it," said the 18-year-old.

More than 600 people from Canada, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom entered the contest.

They were required to answer five skill-testing questions. Just 200 got the answers right.

Jackson said he's never been further north than Winnipeg and doesn't consider himself an expert in Northern geography.

He looked up two of the answers on the Internet and is surprised more people didn't do the same.

"It only took five or 10 minutes," he said.

Brian Desjardins of Arctic Tourism didn't see the 400 wrong answers, but said, "It's surprising how people, even fellow Canadians, don't know their own backyard."

"For us it wasn't a matter of how much people know about the NWT," added Desjardins. "It was a matter of getting the word out."

Jackson, young and full of energy, plans to head North this summer to explore the Nahanni River area, Great Slave Lake and check out Yellowknife. He's invited his friend Jake. The two young men love the outdoors and went on a canoe trip together last summer, camping on small islands near Cranberry Lake in Ontario.

"It's going to be an experience of a lifetime," said Desjardins.

"Hopefully he'll go back to Ontario and spread the word."