Latest news with #MajorInternationalEventSecurityCostFramework
Calgary Herald
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
No arrests at G7 summit protests, says security group
Article content 'Thankfully we were able to have that pilot safely exit the controlled airspace, land and then an investigation started into exactly what happened there,' he said. Article content 'Some of our partner agencies are looking at applicable regulatory offences, but at this time, it's not my understanding that any charges have been laid.' Article content Airspace restrictions in effect during the summit were lifted at noon Wednesday, while the Controlled Access Zone established around key summit venues is also no longer in effect. Article content Motorized vehicles are again able to access Highway 40 from the intersection on Highway 1 to the closure gate at the junction of the Kananaskis Lakes Trail. Article content The tunnel on Airport Trail N.E. in Calgary was expected to reopen Wednesday afternoon and the designated demonstration zones in Calgary and Banff are no longer in effect. Article content Article content However, the Highwood Pass/Highway 40 will not reopen to all vehicular traffic until this Saturday, according to ISSG. Article content Article content 'As foreign dignitaries continue to depart Alberta, residents in these communities may see some continued security presence for the coming days as the ISSG clears equipment, and police vehicles, and assists with clean-up duties at designated sites,' the security group said in a news release. Article content 'It's important to remember we're not finished,' Hall said. 'We have a lot of work to do to demobilize our security posture and all of our respective organizations need to wind down their operations. At some point, we'll tally all those costs and those will be made publicly available.' Article content In 2002, when the then-G8 summit was last held in Kananaskis Country, the City of Calgary's security-related costs totaled $34 million, according to Calgary Herald archives. That was the first summit held after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, which led to a more robust approach to security and policing in general, and the first held after a protester was shot dead by police in Genoa, Italy during the 2001 summit. Article content Article content This year's G7 gathering saw several security protocols in effect, including checkpoints blocking traffic, the closure of nearby hiking trails and common areas, motorcade training drills, temporary road closures in Calgary, airspace restrictions, the establishment of four designated protest zones in Calgary and Banff, and even wildlife monitoring. Article content At the summit itself, snipers were positioned on rooftops, adjacent businesses were sequestered and soldiers or police officers were stationed at trailhead parking lots in the G7 exclusion zone. Article content Costs for hosting the summit will be provided by Public Safety Canada, and operational costs incurred by the event will be covered federally through the Major International Event Security Cost Framework, according to a statement from the City of Calgary.
CBC
27-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Role of Calgary police in G7 security still being finalized
Social Sharing The extent of the Calgary Police Service's role in helping provide security for the G7 leaders' summit in June is still unclear, and details are still being finalized ahead of the event. The G7 meeting is set to be held in Kananaskis, a recreational area west of Calgary, for three days in June. About 10,000 hotel rooms in the are expected to be booked, and the event is anticipated to bring about 2,000 delegates, 1,400 journalists and 70 official guests to Calgary and K-Country, according to a CPS report to the Calgary Police Commission. Security for the event is being overseen by the Integrated Safety and Security Group (ISSG), led by the RCMP, with Calgary police and other law enforcement agencies acting in a support capacity. Thousands of security personnel are expected to be policing the area, but it hasn't been determined yet as to how many will be CPS officers. "It is a pretty big security posture and a big footprint," CPS Supt. Joe Brar told reporters at a media availability Wednesday. "We are relying on other mutual aid partners to come from other provinces and other parts of the province to assist us. I'm not in a position to talk about those agencies because we're still working out details with them, and nor do I have the numbers." Brar adds that while the focus of the event is in K-Country, there will be policing requirements in the city as well, as political gatherings such as the G7 leaders' summit are known to attract sometimes massive rallies. He says there will be designated protest areas in the city, but they have yet to determine where they will be located. Brar said CPS has suggested municipal plaza, the Harry Hays building and the McDougall Centre. "In Calgary, there are no restricted zones that'll be cordoned off for extended periods of time," Brar said. "There will be some [heightened security] around the airport, some other sites, but minimal disruptions there. I think an event of this magnitude is going to bring disruptions. I think that's reasonable to expect." He adds the police liaison team has not yet spoken with any protest leaders about possible rallies stemming from the G7 summit. Temporary airspace restrictions will be put in place during the event, barring unauthorized aircraft, including drones. The RCMP says it anticipates the restrictions to apply in a 30-nautical-mile ring around the Kananaskis secure area; however, those details are also still being finalized. Who is paying for G7 security? With multiple law enforcement agencies assisting with G7 security as part of the ISSG, the exact breakdown of how costs will be covered is unclear. According to the RCMP, when the summit is over, the total price of policing the event will be made public. Brar says CPS will receive funding from the federal government through the Major International Event Security Cost Framework. "An event of this magnitude requires a lot of human resources and other resources, and there is extraordinary and incremental costs that are incurred by the police of jurisdiction," Brar said. "As this is considered a major international event, [Public Safety Canada has] a cost framework in place where we can enter into a contribution agreement to recover some of the costs incurred by the Calgary Police Service."
