'Sequestered:' Shop owners describe doing business in G7 security sanctum
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Twenty-three years later, there was little of that, he said, as a much stricter security cordon descended on the venue that once again hosted those countries' VIPs for G7.
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'They've really reined in the availability — it's completely different, it's very tight,' said Okabe who, with wife Naoko Maebashi, now operates the Moose Family Kitchen in the complex that hosted meetings and photo sessions under a tight lockdown.
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The couple weren't able to operate their business in a normal fashion but were allowed to maintain its retail side in case delegates required items such as over-the-counter medication said Okabe.
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'We've kind of shut down, we were just here for essentials only,' he said, adding a few such sales were made.
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When the media hordes were moving through the village, signifying the presence of G7 leaders, 'we were sequestered in the store space, we couldn't just wander around,' said Okabe.
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In 2002, the couple, particularly Maebashi, were able to join the press corp. in snapping images of the assembled world leaders and even getting up-close photos of them as they milled around following official photo opportunities.
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At one point, then-U.S. president George W. Bush inquired if Maebashi had gotten a good photo of them.
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This time, it was strictly the leaders' support staff who interacted with them, though when they showed photos of themselves with prime ministers and presidents in 2002, 'that certainly served as a conversation starter,' said Okabe.
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But on the summit's last day, on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dropped into a neighbouring store for a visit.
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Like others who work and live in Kananaskis, the couple underwent security screening head of the G7 summit while journalists required multiple passes and travelled through a series of security checks that included dogs sniffing their gear before they were allowed access to Kananaskis Village.
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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 While Canada got hit with more tariffs on Friday night, China received a 90-day extension on more tariffs on Monday. 'The United States and China have engaged in multiple rounds of productive negotiations to address trade reciprocity and national security concerns,' the statement from the White House read. You would think that if China could get a 90-day extension on further tariffs because talks were going well, Canada could do the same. 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