CALGARY and EDMONTON -- Until Prime Minister Jean Chrétien picked Kananaskis Country to play host to the Group of Eight, this mountain park was little known outside Alberta.
But with the world's most influential leaders meeting in this tiny Rocky Mountain retreat this week for a summit that will be covered by 3,500 journalists from around the world, the secret will soon be out, if it isn't already.
Whether that's good or bad depends on whom you're asking.
"There's a big potential market out there for things like adventure tourism," beamed Mark Erdman, communications director for Alberta's Economic Development Minister.
His office has been flooded with requests for footage of the 4,000-square-kilometre park and has posted about 200 story ideas and images on government Web sites for visiting reporters.
"There's a lot of good markets, and there's a lot of work being done on those fronts. But if this summit helps that or attracts people to be interested then that's a really positive thing," Mr. Erdman said.
Environmentalists see it differently.
"The eyes of the world will be drawn to an area which locals have long cherished as their own," the Calgary-Banff chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society noted in a recent newsletter.
The group, known as CPAWS, worries that the mass of security forces and protesters who plan to make the trek to the summit site (about an hour's drive west of Calgary) could damage the wilderness. It also worries that the summit will give a boost to commercial interests and segments of the Alberta government that long have hoped to turn Kananaskis -- locals call it K-Country -- into a major international tourist destination.
Dave Poulton, executive director of the local CPAWS chapter, describes that possibility as the "Banffization of K-Country."
The provincial government established Kananaskis in 1977 as a response to Albertans' concern that Banff National Park was becoming overcrowded and that outdoor recreation was becoming too pricey for the average family.
Kananaskis is made up of 13 parks and protected areas, 54 recreational areas, grazing pastures, oil leases and small chunks of private land. The landscape ranges from rounded foothills to jagged rocky peaks to wide-open valleys, and teems with wildlife. Deer, moose, grizzly bears, mountain goats, wolves, cougars, bighorn sheep and a variety of birds including bald and golden eagles live here. Outdoor enthusiasts find this a haven for mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, rafting and paddling, as well as for cross-country and downhill skiing.
The G8 summit will be held in Kananaskis Village, which consists of a small collection of hotels and shops.
Now, a coalition of conservation groups including CPAWS, the Alberta Wilderness Association and Wildcanada.net are calling on Premier Ralph Klein to place future protections on the area as a kind of G8 summit legacy.
Gordon Turtle, a spokesman from Mr. Klein's office, said the Premier is aware of the request and will consider it.
"There has been a lot of excellent work there to protect and preserve the natural environment," Mr. Turtle said. "Whether more needs to be done, as this coalition is suggesting, it's something government is certainly willing to take a look at."
Mr. Erdman said a moratorium on any further development in Kananaskis was implemented in 1998, something that is not going to change.
Stephen Legault, executive director of Wildcanada.net, is not convinced that K-Country will look the same long after the G8 road show leaves the village.
What does he think of the province's reaction to his coalition's request?
"It certainly does nothing to ease our fears," he said.
Summit security
In preparation for the G8 summit, approximately 4,500 police and 6,000 soldiers will provide security. Sources estimate total government spending on the summit, including security, at $300-million.
No fly zone
There will be no overflights during the summit; aircraft venturing within 150-km radius of Kananaskis will be forced down or shot down by CF-18 fighters or ground-to-air missiles.
Road closing
The only road that runs through Kananaskis Country, an 80-km stretch of Hwy. 40, is blocked off with security checkpoints at northern and southern ends during the summit. Vehicles wishing to travel the road will be escorted and subjected to a number of security checks, including being searched.
Security perimeter
A 6.5-kilometre no-go perimetre is set up around the village, closing any day camp and campground within. Only authorized personnel will be permitted entry.
-*The vehicle campgrounds and the group campsites will be used as command posts by security during summit; some back country areas are closed, and the nine horse/bike/hiking trails into the village are heavily monitored and have security checkpoints.
-*Security personnel are not only trained to deal with grizzlies, cougars, elk, moose and wolves, but also forest fires, though wet, June is not normally considered a fire-hazard month.
-*RCMP and Calgary police share security responsibility with help from the Canadian military, which will assist the Mounties in securing back country and mountains around Kananaskis Village.
-*Springbank Airport, just west of Calgary, is being used by military to base helicopters and CF-18s.
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