How not to vacation

It's been well-documented that the Canadian Coast Guard's northern operations should receive a lot more attention and funding than they do. But the Globe points out that the icebreakers that we currently have are being wasted thanks to tourists spending their vacation navigating the Northwest Passage:

“It's been my duty all summer long — babysitting these Arctic boaters,” sighed Jean Ouellet yesterday, as he described how an icebreaker ship came to the aid of two boats that ran into trouble trying to sail through one of the world's most treacherous maritime passages this week.

“We tell them not to do it, but every year they come, and every year this happens,” the Canadian Coast Guard spokesman added...

The reason the Coast Guard doesn't ignore the adventure-seekers completely is because there is a concern that if they don't keep track of the boats, it could eventually turn into a costly search-and-rescue mission, he explained.

The calculation for the Coast Guard may be a necessary one under the circumstances. But the decision of individuals to waste the time of Canada's military resources is one that should be seen with nothing but contempt.

There may be no way to stop people from making irresponsible choices. But at the very least, an appropriate fee for the Coast Guard's services should help them to appreciate the real costs of their trips. The icebreaking (and for that matter, unnecessary search-and-rescue) operations necessitated by an individual's choice should be borne by that individual, not by an already-underfunded Coast Guard.