VANCOUVER - It seems one more gold medal should have been awarded at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

The popularity of Canada's Northern House in Vancouver has resulted in long lineups to get into the pavilion. - photo courtesy of GNWT/ITI

That would be to Canada's Northern House.

The joint initiative of the NWT, Nunavut and the Yukon has been an overwhelming hit in Vancouver.

As of late last week, the pavilion has attracted more than 125,000 visitors – nearly triple the population of the NWT.

"It's beyond our wildest dreams," said Bob McLeod, the minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI).

The pavilion has been a focal point for visitors seeking to purchase Northern arts and crafts, and learn about the diverse cultures, economic potential and tourism opportunities in Canada's North.

Canada's Northern House, located at 602 West Hastings St., opened to the public on Jan. 15 and will remain open until April.

"We were the first pavilion to open and I think we've benefited significantly from that," said McLeod, who was in Vancouver for its opening and has returned a few times since.

The pavilion has a variety of features focusing on the NWT and Canada's North in general – traditional artists working on their crafts, performers, wildlife displays, soapstone carvings, visual art and much more.

"We even have interactive displays," McLeod said, saying one such display invites people to try their hand at making an Inukshuk out of real rocks.

There is also an opportunity for visitors to learn about employment opportunities in the NWT.

Youth ambassadors from every NWT community help welcome the world to the pavilion.

The GNWT has invested $800,000 into Canada's Northern House.

That money has bought the NWT a lot of exposure, including in national and international media, McLeod said. "If we had to pay for it, we'd be well into the millions of dollars."