Military Helicopters Starting Low-Level Nighttime Operations in Kananaskis and Bow Valley for G7
Cathy Ellis
Rocky Mountain Outlook
KANANASKIS COUNTRY – Military helicopters will be doing low-level night flying operations around the Nakiska ski hill in Kananaskis Country June 5-18 as part of the extraordinary security crackdown for the G7 Summit of world leaders.
The operations will be conducted by the Royal Canadian Air Force within a 35 nautical mile radius (or 65 kilometers) of the ski hill and Kananaskis Village, where world leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will gather June 15-17.
“During this period members of the public may see or hear helicopters in the Kananaskis area between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at an altitude of 2,000 feet or less,” said Fraser Logan, community and media relations lead for the RCMP-led Integrated Safety and Security Group (ISSG), in a June 4 news release.
“Flight crews may also be observed conducting operations and landing procedures in designated areas.”
Logan said this readiness training is a critical part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ preparations to support the RCMP in providing security for the upcoming 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit.
“These exercises ensure our personnel are fully prepared to help deliver a safe and secure environment for all participants – before, during and after the event,” he said.
In the lead-up to and during the G7 Summit, the RCMP will be implementing temporary air restrictions over Calgary and Kananaskis Country from June 14 at 6 a.m. to June 17 at 11:59 p.m.
The restricted airspace will allow for security operations and emergency services for authorized aircraft only.
There will be no unauthorized flights in the area on these dates.
ISSG officials say the RCMP, in coordination with its G7 Summit aviation partners, including Transport Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces and NAV CANADA, will work together to ensure the “safe management of air traffic to and from the summit area.”
Chief Superintendent David Hall, the RCMP’s ISSG event security director, also said residents of the Bow Valley will notice an increased presence of police and military personnel, vehicles, and aircraft in and around summit locations leading up to and during the event.
“Rest assured, our presence is not intended to be disruptive – it is designed to be visible, accessible, and focused on ensuring everyone’s safety,” he said in a news release earlier this week.
“As the event security director for the summit, I’ve mandated my team to balance what is needed to keep everyone safe while minimizing impacts, as much as we can, on local communities, businesses and residents.”