'Prisoners for a week:' Kananaskis G7 zone turned into armed camp
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Kevin Okabe and his wife Naoko Maebashi have seen it all before.
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The couple, who operate the Moose Family Kitchen in the village, were swept up in the 2002 G8 when they operated a souvenir shop in one of the hotels.
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'There's definitely more physical barriers this time,' said Okabe, who lives nearby.
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'The last time, we could walk down to the see the army camp (at the Mount Kidd campground) but you can't now.'
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On Thursday, that campground sat behind temporary steel fencing that concealed a military hub. A young Canadian soldier vetted traffic coming to its gates.
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Even so, he admits to harbouring a sense of intrigue and gratitude.
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'It's exciting to see what goes on. If the delegates need cigarettes or medication, we'll be the only game in town.'
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Next door to Okabe, Michelle Earls said business at her Kananaskis Outfitters store had dipped considerably weeks before the start of the summit, noting the village's hotels and area hiking trails shut down in late May.
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'We don't put the rental bikes out. Being closed weeks prior to (the summit) is a pretty big impact we didn't anticipate,' said Earls, who acknowledged they've been told they'll receive federal government compensation.
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But she said businesses this year are missing out on a U.S. tourist demographic that normally travels to the area in June, before the Canadian wave of visitors hits.
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