'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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Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Oshawa, Ont.-based automaker announced it has led the Canadian EV segment for three consecutive quarters, outselling every other EV — including those from Tesla. The company's EV market share almost tripled, in fact, rising to 23.2% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to the same period last year (at 8.1 per cent market share). 'Essentially, one in four EVs sold in Canada is now a GM brand — such as Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC — totaling 13 different EVs in the market,' confirms Shane Peever, vice president of sales, service and marketing at GM Canada, in a telephone interview. Peever says its Chevrolet Equinox EV (starting at $48,433) is now the best-selling GM EV in Canada, and No. 2 across all EVs (behind Tesla Model Y). 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