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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Global News
23 minutes ago
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Wife of terror group ‘member' backed by public safety minister does not live in his riding: documents
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Story continues below advertisement But court records and interviews indicate the woman is not Anandasangaree's constituent. Rather, she is a longtime resident of Markham, Ont. — which is outside his Scarborough-Guildwood-Rouge Park riding. Her immigration records, tax returns and commercial receipts each list a Markham home address, and two additional letters of support she gave immigration officers were from a city councillor and MPP — both in Markham. Reached by phone, she declined to answer questions and referred a reporter to her lawyer, who confirmed the woman had resided in Markham since at least 2016 and could not recall ever living in Anandasangaree's riding. The revelations have raised new questions for Anandasangaree, who became Minister of Public Safety in May, and promptly recused himself from making national security decisions related to the Tamil Tigers. 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This should have been made clearer in the minister's statement of July 14, 2025.' 3:13 Letters reveal public safety minister's support of suspected terror group 'member' Support letters for terror group 'member' Earlier this month, Global News reported that before joining cabinet, Anandasangaree wrote two letters asking the Canada Border Services Agency to grant permanent residence to Senthuran Selvakumaran. Story continues below advertisement The Sri Lanka man married a Toronto-area woman in the United Kingdom in 2005 after British immigration officials rejected his asylum claim. She then applied to bring her husband to Canada, but border officials have repeatedly rejected him on the grounds he was a self-admitted paid member of the Tamil Tigers. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, the group committed scores of assassinations and bombings during Sri Lanka's civil war, and raised millions in Toronto, partly through extortion, before landing on Canada's list of terrorist organizations in 2006. 'In truth, I have helped the LTTE not only because I wanted to help them, I also got payment for it,' Selvakumaran wrote in an asylum claim. After telling immigration officers in Britain, and then Canada, that he had worked for the Tigers for seven years, Selvakumaran changed his story and insisted he had lied about his involvement because of bad legal advice. But the CBSA still had doubts and rejected him. Writing on his House of Commons letterhead, Anandasangaree then asked the CBSA to reverse that decision, adding that 'as a Member of Parliament' he had met and counselled Selvakumaran's wife Nilushie Senthuran. 'Providing guidance, advocacy, or support letters in support of Canadians is a standard responsibility of Members of Parliament across all parties. It is part of an MP's duty to assist, in accordance with federal rules, Canadian citizens seeking to reunite with their families,' the minister's latest statement said. Story continues below advertisement Anandasangaree's last letter to immigration officials on the matter was dated July 18, 2023. He was Parliamentary Secretary of Justice at the time and joined cabinet on July 26, 2023. The Office of the Ethics Commissioner said parliamentary secretaries were permitted to work as MPs 'for their constituents,' but declined to comment further. 'At this time, we're choosing not to make further statements.' 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'After MP Anandasangaree and his staff met with Mrs. Senthuran and reviewed her extensive documentation, he agreed to support her husband's application.' Story continues below advertisement He said it was a regular practice for Members of Parliament to write letters of support, and there was 'nothing improper or irregular' about Anandasangaree writing such a letter after meeting her. But in his response to questions from Global News asking why he wrote letters asking the CBSA to give permanent residence to a foreign national who had been deemed a terrorist group member, Anandasangaree called her a 'constituent.' 2:10 Cabinet minister under scrutiny over letters supporting terror group 'member' The Markham councillor and the MPP None of residential addresses in the wife's applications to sponsor her husband to immigrate are not part of Anandasagaree's Toronto riding, according to the Elections Canada website. 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National Observer
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Betting, once again, on the same fossil-fuel horse might be what keeps Canada from becoming the energy superpower it could be if it were to finally get serious about phasing out oil and gas and focus on solutions that will work in tomorrow's economy. Building a new deal of Canada's own to answer the crisis, while also answering the country's energy needs, will only work if public money supports projects aligned with our climate goals. As the US administration becomes more unpredictable in its climate and trade policies, Canada must invest in its resilience. A real nation-building project is a strong national grid that will increase our economic competitiveness, create lasting jobs, support our climate commitments and shield Canadian households from rising fossil fuel costs.
Toronto Star
42 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Russia kills 22 civilians in Ukraine as the Kremlin remains defiant over Trump threats
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