
No arrests at G7 summit protests, says security group
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'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.
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'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.'
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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the summit were lifted at noon Wednesday, while the Controlled Access Zone established around key summit venues is also no longer in effect.
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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.
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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in Calgary was expected to reopen Wednesday afternoon and the designated demonstration zones in Calgary and Banff are no longer in effect.
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However, the Highwood Pass/Highway 40 will not reopen to all vehicular traffic until this Saturday, according to ISSG.
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'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.
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'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.'
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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