Donald Trump has arrived in Kananaskis: Why all eyes are on him at the 2025 G7 summit
U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Alberta for the G7 Summit, drawing attention in Calgary as his aircraft flew low and loud over the city.
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Trump was accompanied by a fleet of identical helicopters, as is standard practice when a U.S. president travels either domestically or internationally.
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One helicopter carries the president, while the others serve as decoys for would-be assassins on the ground, according to the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
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'Upon take-off, these helicopters begin to shift in formation regularly to obscure the location of the President,' the website says.
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His arrival has been met with mixed reactions, as some locals expressed excitement over his presence in the wake of separation and 51st state talks, while others showed concern over his ability to enter the country despite his criminal convictions.
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Welcome to Alberta President Trump! @POTUS 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/OVYSuvuH5l
— Calgary Guy (@cgy_guy) June 16, 2025
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Trump was greeted by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith upon arrival, the two having previously met on her Mar-A-Lago visit. A May poll showed 51 per cent of Albertans want Smith's government to prepare a plan to pursue complete independence from both Canada and the U.S.
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The leadup to Trump's visit to Alberta for the G7 summit has been tumultuous.
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The president arrived in Canada one day after his birthday, which he spent at a military parade celebrating the U.S. army's 250th anniversary.
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The military parade kicked off in Washington with a 21-gun salute, tanks and troops, as well as helicopters and parachutists, as protesters in hundreds of U.S. cities demonstrated against his use of executive power.
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Trump, who was serenaded by the crowd for his 79th birthday, was the driving force behind the parade down Washington's Constitution Avenue — which runs behind the White House — that includes a muscular exhibition of 6,600 soldiers, Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and helicopters. The Army marked its 250th anniversary with a companion all-day event on the National Mall.
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'Every other country celebrates their victories,' Trump said in a speech after the approximately two-hour parade. 'It's about time America did, too. That's what we're doing tonight.'
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The parade is expected to cost $45 million, an estimate that includes potential damage to major District of Columbia streets from heavy tank treads.
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The U.S. last celebrated its military strength in similar fashion in 1991 after the first Gulf War. The only other such events celebrated the end of the Civil War and World Wars I and II. While Democratic President John F. Kennedy included military displays in his 1961 inaugural parade, such exhibitions are more common in authoritarian countries such as Russia, China and North Korea. Longtime U.S. ally France also marks its annual Bastille Day with a military parade.
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