Ragged Ass Road is a short lane in Old Town that has become, over the years, one of Canada's most photographed street signs. The name dates to the gold rush era, when the area was a scrappy settlement of shacks and prospectors who had little to show for their efforts. The original residents chose the name themselves, with characteristic northern bluntness about their circumstances.
Efforts to officially rename the street have been rejected multiple times by Yellowknife residents, who consider the name a badge of honour and a piece of genuine local history. The sign gets stolen regularly and has to be replaced. The road itself is a short, rough lane lined with eclectic Old Town housing, and the walk down to the waterfront from here passes some of the most characterful buildings in the city.
story: "When a group of concerned citizens petitioned the city to rename the road in the 1980s, a counter-petition collected far more signatures to keep it. The resulting city council debate was reportedly one of the most attended in Yellowknife's history."