A Kleefeld resident got an unexpected glimpse into the G7 Leaders' Summit in Alberta.
Holly Rempel was in Calgary for a marketing conference related to her job. She was aware the G7 Summit was happening but didn’t expect it to impact the city the way it did.
“It was a pretty wild experience. I didn't know how much we would be affected because the G7 Summit is happening in Kananaskis. So I didn't know what we would all see, but it turns out the hotel we were staying at, the Fairmont was kind of the hub of the pre-conference meetings that they were all having.”
Rempel says she began noticing a heavy police presence at the hotel along with significantly heightened security.
“Then we were walking through the streets of Calgary and all of a sudden we hear sirens, lots of sirens, and police motorbikes started blocking off each street, and then there was just a huge lineup of cops coming through with these big black SUV's that they were covering. It was such a wild, almost intimidating experience to see, but it was so cool. So, it was clearly one of the leaders or very important people coming through to Calgary, it was crazy.”
While she didn’t recognize any of the figures arriving, she says their presence was unmistakable.
“We were standing outside waiting for an Uber, there was a couple of people walking in that we could just tell like they had a presence among them. We could tell they were some sort of important person. So, for them to see us and give us a wave was pretty cool.”
As Rempel was preparing to leave the hotel, she was told she had just missed a group of 40 police officers.
“I was a little disappointed that I missed that but then, as we're leaving the hotel, we go to walk down the hallway to get to our parkade, and it is lined with cops. And I got really worried, I don't know if we were allowed to go down that area, but they granted us permission to go through.”
She recalls being unsure of how to feel in that moment.
“I couldn't tell if I felt the safest I had ever been, or not, it was really intimidating. So, I didn't know how to react, but I started looking into the rooms that were walking past, and they're just filled with cops. We found out later there were over 150 cops at our hotel because of the people staying in our hotel.”
As the reality of the situation set in, Rempel admitted she felt uneasy.
“I was a little weary, especially with world issues going on. There's a lot happening in this world and so I was a little worried if we would run into protests or what, but I didn't notice any of that.”
She even spotted military aircraft overhead.
“There was a little bit of like a looming, just odd feeling kind of but it was like nothing I ever thought I would experience. And then when we went to balance and on our way back, seeing another lineup of police cars bringing people out to Kananaskis, I didn't expect my trip to be so political based.”
She says the police presence made it clear they were prepared for anything.
“They would have their hand on their gun, on their hip or something. Or I kept looking up at the high-rise buildings to see if I could see snipers waiting or something, and it was just so crazy. I felt like I was in an action movie.”
With files from Corny Rempel
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