Visitors to Kananaskis Country this week may encounter members of the G-8 security team making summit preparations, but plans for recreational fun won't be interrupted, says a G-8 security spokesman.
"Between now and June 22, the RCMP and (Department of National Defence) members will be transporting personnel and conducting orientation training in the area," Corp. James Johnston said Saturday.
All command centres are "up and functioning and ready" and logistics and planning are complete, Johnston said, adding the security team just awaits the completion of personnel deployment and will be fully operational by the morning of June 23.
Visitors may see small groups of personnel moving equipment but K-Country relaxation can continue as usual, Johnston said.
"We've done an awful lot of planning to minimize the impact on people's lives and the area required for security operations," he said.
"People just need to be aware the personnel will be there and if you turn in to see them you should expect to be asked to leave the area," Johnston said. "They're not there on display. They're there for an operational role."
Not until noon today, when most campers are heading home, will security personnel assume control of certain recreational areas.
Visitors will be able to enjoy more than 95 per cent of Kananaskis Country even during the summit, but the closure of certain camping areas begins today, said Cheryl Robb, a spokeswoman for Alberta Community Development.
Sundance Lodges, Mount Kidd RV Park, Eau Claire campground and Spray Lakes West campground are unaccessable as of noon today, said Wayne Grams, information services co-ordinator for the Kananaskis area.
Further closures will begin early in the week.
Highway security checkpoints won't be in place until June 23, Grams said, at which point visitors can expect minor delays for such things as accreditation checks, vehicle searches and grouping for escorted travel on part of Highway 40.
Grams said all security restrictions will be lifted as of June 28, but some areas may remain closed while equipment is removed.
G-8 preparations also progressed in the city over the weekend, where both security personnel and activists continued to expand their ranks.
The Calgary Police Service grew by another 22 officers at a graduation ceremony Friday afternoon.
"One of our main goals was to get 125 police officers out on the ground and running before G-8," said police Chief Jack Beaton, adding the plan required graduating more officers in a shorter time than ever before in the force.
On the activist circuit, the planning of mass activist "convergences" continued. The Calgary Multicultural Centre will now be used as a meeting place for activists, said Sarah Kerr, a local activist and one of the organizers of the planned Solidarity Village. The village -- once expected to be a public space attracting thousands of protesters for education and dialogue --failed to receive city approval.
According to published reports from Southam newspapers, organizers said the centre accommodates only 200 people and will be used to provide visitors with information on the city and events during the summit before they move to other locations. It will not be a staging area for protests.
More than 35 people met under the trees at the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association on Saturday for the final planning meeting of the June 23 Community Solidarity March.
"I'm happy to report there are no crises to be taken care of," said Gordon Christie, march organizer and executive secretary for the Calgary and District Labour Council.
He anticipates about 4,000 people will join the 11-block march, which begins at 1 p.m. at Eau Claire Plaza. Marchers will travel east down Riverfront Avenue then south on Macleod Trail north, finishing at Olympic Plaza, Christie said.
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