What can Calgary expect with the G7 in the area
Posted Jun 15, 2025 12:54 pm.
Last Updated Jun 15, 2025 1:30 pm.
The G7 Leaders’ Summit begins Sunday, and Calgarians can expect some changes to their everyday commute due to the thousands of international dignitaries in the area.
The three-day event at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge will bring the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, along with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump, for meetings on macroeconomics, international security, human rights and geopolitics.
Other leaders outside the G7 have been invited, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also invited to the summit, despite the RCMP accusing agents of his government of playing a role in “widespread violence” in Canada.
Within the city, a few lanes will be closed, namely the ones adjacent to the Fairmont Paliser Hotel, which will remain closed until the end of the day on Tuesday, June 17.
This also includes the parking lane and the right traffic lane on eastbound 9 Avenue SW, along with the right lane on northbound 1 Street SW.
But aside from these in-house closures, what else can Calgarians expect?
Limited airport access, delays expected
For starters, the airport will have limited access up until Wednesday to ensure the safe arrival and departure of G7 delegates and leaders.
The city says the airport tunnel on Airport Trail NE will be closed from Sunday, June 15, through Wednesday.
Travellers heading to the airport from the east side of Calgary are being asked to take Country Hills Boulevard NE to Barlow Trail NE as an alternative route.
Along with the tunnel being inaccessible, northbound 19 Street NE to eastbound Airport Trail NE will also be closed. However, the city says Airport Trail NE from Deerfoot Trail to Barlow Trail NE will remain open.
Additionally, the city says there will be no stopping or parking around the perimeter of the airport property from Saturday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 18. The north end of McCall Way will be restricted to employee and business traffic only, with a security checkpoint in effect.
Paking ban in Kananaskis
There is a parking ban in the Kananaskis area, which began at 12 a.m. on June 14 and will continue until June 18. Police will be enforcing the parking ban on Highway 40 from the Junction of Highway 1 to the north winter closure gate at the Junction of the Kananaskis Lakes Trail.
Mounties say these restrictions are necessary to maintain the safety of the international leaders in the area, along with the expected 2,000-plus international dignitaries.
RCMP officers will also have accreditation checkpoints along Highway 40 and will remind motorists of the restrictions as they travel through Kananaskis Valley.
Controlled access zone
Meanwhile, the RCMP’s Integrated Safety and Security Group (ISSG) set up a controlled access zone around Kananaskis, which began on June 10 and will continue until June 18.
You can’t enter the controlled area without accreditation during the G7.
The RCMP-led ISSG includes the Calgary Police Service (CPS), Alberta Sheriffs, conservation officers, and the Canadian Armed Forces, each with their own focus.
Mounties are asking the public to stay away from the high-security points.
Additionally, parts of Kananaskis Country will be shut down due to the security measures in place.
The hiking trails around Kananaskis Village, along with the Kananaskis Country Golf Course, will be closed until June 20. Camping is also prohibited in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.
Trails, such as the Three Sisters Parkway, Mount Lougheed Viewpoint, McGillivray Creek Trailhead, Barrier Lake, Stoney Trail, and Tunnel Mountain, will remain open, while others will close.
Those closed are the following:
- Rummel Pass Trail
- Rummel Ridge Trail
- Buller Pass Trail
- Sparrowhawk Trail
- Read’s Tower Route
- Mount Bogart Route
- Spencer Creek Trail
- Little Lougheed Trail
- Spurling Creek
- West Wind Pass Trail
- High Rockies Trail
- Mount Lorette Ponds
- Galatea Day Use / Trailhead
Lastly, there is a no-fly zone around Calgary and the controlled access zone, which is being applied to all unauthorized aircraft. This includes drones.
More information about the controlled access and no-fly zones can be found online.
Designated protest zones
The RCMP have set up multiple “designated demonstration zones” for the expected protests over the next few days.
This includes the Municipal Plaza in downtown Calgary, which is expected to see a rally organized by the International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS), an alliance of grassroots organizations, on Sunday.
Other groups involved include Justice for Palestinians and the Calgary Student Movement, who were part of the 2024 University of Calgary encampment that led to physical retaliation from police, forcing them off the university grounds.
The ILPS is expecting 200 people for a protest at Calgary City Hall.
Yasmeen Khan, vice-chair of the group’s North America chapter, told The Canadian Press that protesters want to raise awareness about various issues, including Indigenous struggles, housing and climate change.
“We’ll have banners. We’ll be chanting,” she said. “We will also have some cultural performances from some Indigenous artists and migrant youth.”
Additionally, the Calgary Raging Grannies group also plans to be at the protest zone at Calgary City Hall on Sunday afternoon.
Along with the Municipal Plaza outside Calgary City Hall, other zones include East Victoria Park along 11 Avenue SE near Macleod Trail SE, a viewing area near the Calgary International Airport, and the Fenlands Banff Recreation Parking lot.
The demonstration zones will also be streamed live to the G7 leaders.
Calgary police are also anticipating vehicle-focused protests.
When it comes to these kinds of protests, officers say drivers must follow all rules of the road, avoid groups of more than 10 vehicles at a time, remain focused on driving, use seatbelts, and not attach items to their vehicles that may hinder visibility or become dislodged.
Information about the location and guidelines for the designated demonstration zones can be found online at www.g7.rcmp.ca and www.calgarypolice.ca/protesting.
With files from The Canadian Press
