
Calgary police designate three protest zones for next month's G7, expect big influx of activists
Also on Wednesday, RCMP Chief Supt. and ISSG Security Director Dave Hall acknowledged some Banff residents weren't happy with initial plans for a designated protest zone in the town's Central Park.
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He said another one has been found elsewhere in Banff and will be revealed on Thursday.
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'Police have learned their lessons from previous events, finding people have a right to be seen and heard and (ensuring) it's done legally,' said Hall.
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He said protesters won't be tolerated on any roads or highways leading to the Kananaskis venue.
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Security personnel with earpieces could be seen patrolling the grounds of host venue Rimrock Hotel, a few uniformed were in its hallways and an RCMP sniffer dog has been inspecting journalists' gear prior to press conferences.
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But law enforcement officials say they expect the contentious presence of U.S. President Donald Trump at the summit, the war in Ukraine and the possibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presence, and the ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade on Gaza will attract demonstrations for the Kananaskis event.
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A large chunk in the heart of Kananaskis Country will be closed to the unaccredited public from June 10-18, with roadblocks to the north of the Kananaskis Village venue at Mt. Lorette Ponds and one to the south at the Galatea Creek trail head parking lot. The mountain terrain to the east and west of the summit site will also be restricted.
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An estimated 5,000 Canadian soldiers and up to 1,500 RCMP personnel will guard the closed access area, where even the movements of grizzly bears will be monitored.
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The Royal Canadian Air Force has begun conducting preparatory security flights over the Kananaskis region, with low-level sorties flown by CF-18 Hornet fighters and, later in the month, CH-147F Chinook and CH-146 Griffon helicopters.
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The G8 summit that was also held in Kananaskis in 2002 attracted a wide variety of protesters who gathered mostly in Calgary, but the event proceeded without any major violent incidents.
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'They were seen and heard but it was done in a way that was lawful,' said the CPS's Brar.
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Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
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Edmonton Journal
an hour ago
- Edmonton Journal
Canada condemns Israel over Gaza aid crisis, but CIJA says Hamas to blame
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday accused the Israeli government of failing to prevent a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and of violating international law by denying aid. Article content In a post on X, Carney said Israel's control of aid distribution must be replaced by 'comprehensive provision' of humanitarian assistance led by international organizations. Article content Article content Article content 'We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza.' Article content Israel's parliament on Wednesday approved a symbolic motion to annex the West Bank. Article content Canada condemns the Israeli government's failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Israel's control of aid distribution must be replaced by comprehensive provision of humanitarian assistance led by international organizations. Many of these are… — Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) July 25, 2025 Article content Article content Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams from Qatar on Thursday and President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Hamas's latest response to proposals for a deal showed a 'lack of desire' to reach a truce. It's unclear when negotiations will resume. Article content Article content The Centre for Jewish and Israel Affairs (CIJA) said Hamas is not negotiating in good faith. Article content 'We all want to see the hostages returned, the humanitarian situation in Gaza resolved, and a ceasefire agreement reached. Tragically, negotiations collapsed today, with mediators concluding that while Israel agreed, Hamas was acting in bad faith. Despite these developments, Prime Minister Carney condemned Israel and called on 'both sides' to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith. It's obvious that Hamas does not want an agreement. It wants to survive and retain power at any cost,' said the centre's chief executive, Noah Shack, in a statement.