2 days ago
From bear traps to camped-out soldiers, security measures in place for G7 in Kananaskis
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'(Security) is both massive and essential,' said John Kirton, the director of the G7 Research Project at the University of Toronto.
While Canadians are perhaps unlikely to have wildly strong views about French President Emmanuel Macron or Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, U.S. President Donald Trump has angered millions of Canadians with his aggressive rhetoric. Prime Minister Mark Carney has also angered many by inviting Saudia Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and India's Narendra Modi.
Already, unspecified security concerns have led to at least one ceremonial casualty: Calgary's White Hatter ceremony. Traditionally, the ceremony welcomes delegates to Alberta's largest city, and they're handed a white Smithbilt cowboy hat to celebrate Calgary's frontier spirit.
In 2002, when the G8 Summit was also held in Kananaskis, leaders were given the ceremonial hats. U.S. president George W. Bush put it on his head, but Jacques Chirac, the late French president, reportedly turned up his nose at the gift and Russian President Vladimir Putin — not yet the international pariah he is today — examined the hat without putting it on his head. This time, however, there will be no ceremony.
