IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN — JUSTIN TRUDEAU’s vacations invariably turn into A Thing. Let’s review: On his first Christmas vacay as head of government, Trudeau got the TMZ treatment when the family visited Paradise Beach Resort in St. Kitts & Nevis. The next year he and an entourage landed on a private island in the Bahamas owned by the AGA KHAN — a close, personal friend. Then-ethics commissioner MARY DAWSON would later identify the ethical faceplant for what it was: An exclusive getaway with a federal lobbyist who received millions in government funding. There was also that trip to Tofino in 2021, which coincided with Canada's first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Trudeau had been invited to spend the day at Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc, the community near Kamloops where it’s thought the remains of more than 200 children who died at a residential school were buried. Trudeau’s airplane flew over Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc en route to Vancouver Island. There have been other trips outside of Canada — to Florida, to Jamaica, twice to Costa Rica. At least those flights were relatable: When it's cold, Canadians fly south. This year’s summer excursion is set to be domestic, though the exact location has not yet been disclosed by the Prime Minister's Office. — Been there, done that: A prime minister’s vacation planning can be laden with traps — some owing to glaring blind spots, others to a political culture that discourages taxpayer-funded vacays. This prime minister has unintentionally cultivated a rep for ethical self-ownage. His critics can't resist digging up the literal receipts — trip expenses that include the staff and security that trails Trudeau et al wherever they go surfing and otherwise relax. — Welcome to midsummer 2023: Time for a dose of sublime and a slower pace. Cue the arguments about how the PM should spend this summer vacation — especially now it’s layered with new complications. Trudeau, SOPHIE GRÉGOIRE TRUDEAU and their kids are vacationing together — and taking in the rival blockbusters du jour — as the family officially acclimatizes to co-parenting. — How much is too much? In 2021, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation revealed the total cost of the Trudeaus' 16-day Christmas escape to Costa Rica in 2019: C$196,137, including C$57,647 in round-trip flight costs on a military jet. Fair to say the average Canadian family isn't shelling out that kind of money for a winter sojourn, even in these inflationary times. Then again, as much as politicians want us to believe they're normal people, the PM's flock is not just like us. Hands up if a policy ever required you to fly on a Canadian Armed Forces aircraft staffed by military personnel. Keep 'em raised if you look over your shoulder at the Mounties assigned to your detail. These necessities come at a cost for prime ministers of every stripe. — It's just inflation: Not that a getaway for a typical family is anywhere near cheap. CTV News analysis earlier this year pegged a seven-day trip to Disney World for an Ottawa family of four at approximately C$15,000. — Brace yourself: Trudeau's travel is a guaranteed talker. The litany of snafus and receipts have seen to that. We'll always wonder where he's going, with whom he's partying, how much it'll cost us, and whether or not he'll come to regret it. — Should the Trudeaus foot all the bills? Should we? Is consensus possible in a country that can't figure out what to do with the crumbling home where the PM refuses to live? Seriously, drop us a line with your views on all of this. After all, arguing about a PM's personal time is a Canadian tradition. ON THE WATER — We hadn't heard from Trudeau since he announced his, er, significant life event last week. Until, that is, he appeared Wednesday on a recently recorded Canadian Geographic podcast with host DAVID MCGUFFIN. Trudeau, granted a half hour to talk about canoeing, was clearly in his happy place. Even his hardiest haters might soften a bit as the prime minister described the sense of balance required to properly paddle a canoe through Canadian waters. Your mileage may vary on these quotes we pulled from the "Explore" pod. But jump in a canoe for an afternoon and try not to see the human side of a lifelong paddler who appreciates a J-stroke and glassy water with no breeze. — A life lesson: "I have long used the image of paddling down rapids as the way you navigate through life. The current's bringing you in one direction. And you can sometimes eddy out and pause a little bit and catch your breath. You don't decide where the rocks are. You just decide how to make it around them. And you have to respond to what life throws at you as you keep paddling down the river.” — Canoe repair meets Star Wars: "Duct tape is like The Force. It has a dark side and a light side, and it binds the universe together." | 
