Several thousand soldiers and police will be in Kananaskis Country by this weekend to begin securing the region for next week's G8 meeting of the world's most powerful leaders.
Canadian troops and RCMP are setting up in the backcountry and around the village to patrol the closed 6.5-kilometre security perimeter, which goes into effect this Sunday (June 23).
"They are being deployed throughout this week, but the bulk will have arrived by the end of the week,'' said Major Luc Gaudet, a Department of National Defence G8 spokesman.
Soldiers will also be trickling into Banff, where they will be stationed at the Banff Recreation Centre as backup in case of an emergency during the June 26 and 27 G8 Summit.
A 150-km no-fly zone also goes into effect Tuesday (June 25) and will be enforced by CF-18 fighter planes based out of Cold Lake. Helicopters are also based at Springbank.
In Kananaskis, Canadian Forces are also operating ground radar and ADATS (Air Defence Anti-Tank System) surface to air missiles, which are capable of firing on aircraft 10 kilometres away.
"They are at various locations,'' said Major Gaudet.
Beginning Sunday, recreationists can expect delays in getting into areas of Kananaskis Country as part of one of the largest security operations on home ground in Canadian history, codenamed Operation Grizzly.
Vehicles will be stopped and searched at various police checkpoints on Highway 40 entering Kananaskis, and will have to wait in queues before being escorted in convoys.
Individuals will be subject to a magnetic-wand screening similar to those used at airport security points.
Travellers wanting access to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park via the Spray Lakes Road from Canmore will also encounter delays at checkpoints along that road.
Up to 95 per cent of Kananaskis will be open and unaffected by G8, but hikers and mountain bikers can expect to bump into security personnel along various backcountry trails leading into the village region.
Meanwhile, close to 260 trailers, each containing several single and double occupancy rooms, have been trucked to the Nakiska ski resort to house RCMP. Inside, taped to the walls, are emergency evacuation plans.
The military has a separate base camp below the ski hill, however thousands of troops will be in tents in the backcountry and at existing campgrounds in the region.
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