Japanese diplomats challenged to find G7 accommodation in busy southern Alberta
Finding enough rooms at the inn is proving no mean feat for Japanese government officials set to attend the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis next month.
Article content
Article content
The Asian country's foreign affairs staff are almost certainly not alone in scrambling to find suitable lodging in a Calgary region that'll also be hosting about 20,000 Rotary International Convention delegates immediately after the June 15-17 G7 gathering.
Article content
Article content
Both are happening just as the summer tourism season in the Calgary-Banff region begins and shortly before the July 4-13 Calgary Stampede
Article content
Article content
His office said the demand for rooms in the mountains is so great, some of the officials' accommodation is being sought in an also soon-to-be busy Calgary.
Article content
In the past few days, Suguru Hayashida's been making the rounds in Banff, Canmore and Kananaskis to size up the venues, accommodations and logistical challenges facing his country's delegation that will include 200 government officials.
Article content
Another 100 Japanese journalists based in their home country and elsewhere will also converge on Banff-Kananaskis for G7, he said.
Article content
'You have to make sure there's lots of back-up contingencies in case things change,' said Hayashida, a native of Nagasaki who's been stationed in Ottawa for the past 2-1/2 years.
Article content
Article content
But the diplomat said he's been impressed with those in the hospitality sector in Calgary and the mountains to the west.
Article content
'People are so kind and open-minded, it's well-organized' said Hayashida, adding the majestic mountain setting for the gathering of leaders of the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, the U.S., Japan and host Canada is ideal.
Article content
'It's perfect from the point of view of security, it's very quiet and (its beauty) is one of the most important elements as an ice breaker (for delegates) and for a fresh mind,' he said.
Article content
Having visited the Canadian Rockies before on a family vacation, Hayashida said he was happy to hear the 2025 G7 would be held in Kananaskis.
Article content
But the summit's idyllic setting will be subjected to a tight security cordon, with area surrounding Kananaskis Village blocked off to all except those permitted to enter the security zone.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
6 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Calgary International Airport prepares to receive 67,000 travellers daily this summer
Article content The Calgary Airport Authority is ramping up operations for the summer rush, with plans to host more than 5.8 million travellers in the Calgary International Airport between June and August. Article content From the 51st G7 summit in Kananaskis, 15,000 delegates for the 2025 Rotary International Convention, and the Calgary Stampede, approximately 67,000 passengers will be making their way through YYC every day. Article content Article content According to airport authority's chief operating officer Chris Miles, that's an average of 3½ Saddledomes worth of people making their way through their terminals this coming season. Article content 'No matter the event, our job is to make sure those journeys start and end on the right foot,' Miles said. 'That means anticipating pressure points during peak travel times and co-ordinating with partners to keep things moving seamlessly for guests.' Article content With planning and preparations for summer 2025 season starting back in November 2024, Miles said the Calgary Airport Authority works with its partners, including Canada Border Service Agency, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, and NAV Canada, to ensure that they understand the flow of people through the airport. Article content Summer will also serve as a busy time for construction and maintenance for the Calgary International Airport, as new projects like the new domestic screening project in the domestic terminal, and by December of this year, seven new lanes will be opened for travellers. Article content Article content 'That will represent a 40 per cent capacity improvement currently underway at the domestic terminal,' Miles said. Article content Article content With Calgary serving as the entry point for the upcoming G7 Summit in Kananaskis, one of the most apparent impacts will be an increased security presence at the airport before, during, and after the event, YYC officials said. Article content This includes a visible increase in police, no stopping on airport roads, and the airport tunnel being closed from June 15 to 18 to support G7 activities. Article content With the border services agency processing 3.3 million people moving through Calgary airport last year, CBSA Chief Deanna Manson suggested having travel documents ready and being ready to declare all goods that are purchased abroad. CBSA director Lisa White also advised travellers to visit the CBSA website to stay better informed on passing crossing Canada's borders.
Vancouver Sun
8 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Step inside the new Vancouver hotel suite inspired by artist Douglas Coupland's living room
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Douglas Coupland has spent a lot of time in hotels. 'I lived in hotels like 35 years,' the multidisciplinary artist and author says. That lengthy experience in suites around the world has made Coupland keenly aware of exactly what he feels is missing from most hotel room setups: personality. 'So many hotel rooms, even super good ones these days, are just like soul-crushingly generic,' Coupland says. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Vancouver-based artist's latest project at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel offers a solution. Called Suite X, the project saw Coupland offer a long-overdue update to the luxury hotel property's room 1706, a space previously themed around the 2010 Winter Olympics. 'It needed a little bit of Charlie Brown Christmas tree love,' Coupland jokes of the former space. And boy, did it get it. In a news release shared by the property, the suite was described as being inspired by Coupland's bestselling novel, Generation X (hence the name). But, according to the artist, it's perhaps best described as a near-perfect replica of his personal living room. 'It's like my living room, away from my living room,' he says. The idea for the colourful, fully loaded space came about during a party at Coupland's house where hotel owner and Westbank Corp founder Ian Gillespie suggested they redo suite 1706 to look just like Coupland's personal living room. 'I was like, okay, we can do that,' Coupland recalls. The project took place over approximately three months, according to Coupland. During that time, the room received updates such as new flooring and installations — along with a whole bunch of pop culture pieces curated by the artist. 'This is the hotel room I wish I could have stayed in,' Coupland says. A 'living gallery' of sorts, the suite features art pieces including a Lego model of Coupland's famous Digital Orca, canvasses, and books from both the artist's personal collection and from Taschen. Marine drift pieces recovered following the Japanese tsunami off the beaches of Haida Gwaii also feature prominently in the space, with some of the recovered items displayed as is, while others have been painted gold or covered in resin. 'It actually turns out it's all about a marine ecology, which I think is the understory there,' Coupland says of the book and suite. 'I certainly love pop culture, especially sort of 20th century pop culture. And so you put the two of those things together, and you got this very interesting combination.' For those who can't stay in the new suite themselves, Coupland says the room will be featured in a new book about the space to be released soon. The room will change over time, with new installations and art being moved in and out of the space. 'They like trying out new ideas,' Coupland says of the property. 'So they'll always be something new.' When prompted to pick a favourite aspect of the newly redesigned suite, Coupland provided a very Vancouver response: the view. 'It overlooks the grass roof of Canada Place … you're looking at the harbour,' Coupland says of the impressive expanse. 'It's like a crazy view.' Aharris@
Japan Forward
18 hours ago
- Japan Forward
First Pilot Test of Automated Freight Lane Planned for November
A pilot experiment for an automated freight lane will take place for the first time this November at the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture. The project is led by Japan's transport ministry. Conducted in partnership with private-sector transportation and telecommunications companies, the experiment will evaluate how effectively unmanned carts can transport cargo without human assistance. With Japan facing a chronic shortage of truck drivers, the ministry aims to put the technology into practical use as soon as possible. Trucks form a line near Oi Terminal in Shinagawa Ward on January 15, 2024. (©Sankei by Shiro Harada) The concept involves building dedicated lanes, either in highway medians or underground tunnels, with the long-term goal of linking Tokyo and Osaka. The experiment will be conducted in a 700-meter-long (2,297 ft), 7-meter-wide tunnel at the research facility. It will simulate various scenarios, such as multiple carts operating simultaneously and avoiding obstacles like fallen objects. Researchers will measure how cargo weight affects acceleration and braking time, as well as the impact of road vibrations on the cargo. The experiment will also test technology that can automatically transfer cargo from trucks to unmanned carts. According to the transport ministry's estimates, construction costs with current technology could reach ¥25.4 billion JPY (about $178 million USD) per 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) for above-ground routes, and between ¥7 billion ($49 million) and ¥80 billion ($560 million) for underground tunnels. The project is expected to be funded by the private sector. In May, the ministry launched a council of companies interested in operating or using the system. Another round of testing is scheduled for fiscal 2027 or later, on a section of the under-construction Shin-Tomei Expressway between Shin-Hadano in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shin-Gotemba in Shizuoka Prefecture. ( Read the article in Japanese . ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
