Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Jun 19/00) - If you've got an overwhelming urge to fulfil that lifelong dream of yours by riding a unicycle to the True North Pole, you'd better be prepared, because if you end up on the wrong side of a search and rescue, it's going to cost the government -- and ultimately, you the taxpayer -- a lot of money.

Because more and more people are deciding to pursue the adventures of their dreams, the number of search and rescues, be it by land, sea or air, is increasing.

That also means search and rescue costs are increasing, a fact that has compelled some people in Nunavut to suggest that new regulations should be imposed upon explorers.

Take Resolute Bay resident Terry Jesudason, for example. In the expedition business since 1979, when she started running snowmobile trips between Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord, Jesudason said she sees an average of 50 to 60 people pass through the community on their way to glory each year.

Sometimes those people aren't prepared for the weather or ice conditions they'll encounter.

"You can have people who are very experienced in other types of expeditions, but not experienced in the Arctic. You really have to test yourself on the ice," said Jesudason.

"Just because they've done a trip to Kilimanjaro doesn't mean they're qualified to reach the North Pole," she said.

Ill-prepared or simply victims of unexpected weather, Jesudason said the result was the same: costly search and rescue missions have to be organized and paid for by Canadians with their tax dollars. She said she believes people should have to pay for their own rescues.

"Twice this year, the Canadian taxpayer unknowingly was paying for search and rescues (near Resolute Bay)," said Jesudason, now the manager of Qausuittuq Inns North.

She said a popular topic of debate had become whether or not the federal or territorial governments should put regulations or legislation into place requiring explorers to put up the cash before departing on a trip in case a search and rescue mission had to be organized at the community or federal level.

"I used to think having more regulations would not be helpful to us in the expedition business, but after meeting people this year who were in trouble and needed to be rescued, I think differently," said Jesudason.

She was referring to one group of people who, after being rescued by air, refused to pay the $2,500 bill because they were Canadian citizens. Jesudason disagreed with their decision.

"In my opinion, those people should not have been out on the ice without having the money on the table," she said.

Eric Doig, the manager of Nunavut Emergency Services, said such legislation was possible if extremely costly search and rescues occurred on a regular basis.

"Maybe some day somebody should think about developing bond legislation to make people think about it, so if (they) are going out there, (they) have to be responsible for (themselves). It does tax the government's money and if we had to spend a lot, like on the one we just had, we know our budget couldn't withstand the pressure," said Doig, of last week's $40,000 helicopter rescue of two men 130 kilometres off the northern coast of Ellesmere Island.

They were attempting to walk from Norway to Canada when one of the men fell into a crevasse and injured himself. Doig said they asked the residents of France to pay for the mission, a request they willingly complied with after the pair had already spent $35,000 chartering a Twin Otter to try to get themselves out of trouble.

"We told the explorers $40,000 could do about 40 more rescues in Nunavut," said Doig.

With 70 to 150 search and rescues missions being conducted in Nunavut each year, Doig said, for the most part, government money was spent on people who were experienced and had run into bad weather as opposed to making bad decisions.

"We don't have a lot of real dumb people. We have a very unforgiving environment and if you make a dumb mistake, you're going to perish."