When the leaders of the eight most industrialized countries hit the sack in Kananaskis they'll be as far away from the chug of production and consumerism as they can get -- but not from indulgence.
As final touches were put on the Delta Lodge over the weekend, general manager Dale Dyck said the leaders' suites may not have the opulence of city hotels but there's no compromising on comfort.
"Each leader has a suite -- here at the lodge a suite is more rustic," said Dyck. "It's more like your living room than the marble encrusted rooms you'd find downtown -- the colours are very much about bringing the outside in."
Dyck said to make the leaders and delegates feel more at home, the kitchen has made sure some of their traditional foods are available -- rice and seafood will be available at meals to suit the Japanese diet while more meats and cheeses are being brought in to please German palates.
The 10-metre ceiling in the Summit Room, where leaders will meet at a round table, was dropped for a more intimate feel.
The locally made table, big enough to fit the eight world leaders, plus European union and commission heads, is made from B.C. alder and Quebec maple with inlaid maple leafs made from copper from the original Parliament building.
Chretien will sit at the head of the table; behind him a large window shows the green trees of the valley, with mountains looming up in the distance.
"(Prime Minister Jean Chretien) chose this area because he wanted to change the style of the summit, to create a place where the leaders could come together and simply be together," said John Klassen, executive director of the Summit Management Office.
That will allow more time for talk -- leaders won't be leaving and arriving in motorcades to go back to hotels, to dine or simply "change their shirts," he said.
The shops in the 321-room lodge and the lounge will remain open for delegates and leaders, Dyck said.
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