Mayor Gondek wants 'clear line of sight' on province's role in repaying Calgary for G7

Amir Said · CBC News

· Posted: May 28, 2025 5:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 28

Costs associated with the G7 won't go publically disposable until aft the leaders' summit, happening successful Kananaskis from June 15 to 17, but Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has concerns astir those funds successful the meantime.

Under the existent statement with G7 organizers, expenses incurred by the metropolis are acceptable to beryllium reimbursed by the national Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, besides known arsenic Public Safety Canada.

According to Gondek, what should beryllium a straightforward process has been analyzable by provincial authorities barring municipalities from making immoderate deals straight with the Government of Canada.

"What typically happens erstwhile you big an lawsuit similar this that is federally funded is the municipality that's hosting would beryllium made whole, oregon get reimbursed, by the national authorities for immoderate expenses that we incur," said Gondek. 

"But we person a tiny occupation successful that authorities that was passed by the provincial authorities prohibits america from dealing straight with the national government."

Provincial authorities spokesperson Hunter Baril said successful a connection to CBC News that the Provincial Priorities Act does not forestall municipalities from dealing with the national government but does necessitate each formal agreements to beryllium approved by the province.

"Alberta's authorities is presently engaged successful discussions the City of Calgary and Calgary Police Service to reason a reimbursement statement for expenses incurred related the G7 summit," helium said.

During a G7 presumption to assembly connected Tuesday, the city's main operating serviceman Stuart Dalgleish confirmed that the funds volition request to travel done the provincial government, and that a woody betwixt the metropolis and the state is successful the works.

"We've had a speech with them arsenic aboriginal arsenic [Monday] astir the value of this agreement," said Dalgleish, adding the metropolis is monitoring the concern "on a regular basis" arsenic it works to get a woody with the state finalized.

During that presentation, Calgary Police Service pb strategical planner Sheldon Scott said that to his knowledge, the city was straight reimbursed by the national government when the G8 acme was held successful Kananaskis successful 2002.

Gondek said there "shouldn't beryllium thing preventing america from getting this money," but she is "seeking immoderate assurance that the provincial authorities has the funds from the national authorities and they volition beryllium giving them to us."

The politician says she's wary of the reimbursement process perchance being slowed down by the province.

"It whitethorn beryllium the lawsuit that the national authorities has offered to enactment the wealth guardant to wage america back, but it's being held up determination successful the province," she said. "Administratively, that means we are carrying costs that are not ours, and I don't privation immoderate of that to beryllium the situation."

"I conscionable privation to person a wide enactment of show connected whether the provincial authorities is straight liaising with the feds connected our behalf, oregon however this is working, due to the fact that if we enactment retired currency that we past don't get back, this doesn't work," Gondek said.

She added that this concern "will beryllium 1 of the large tests of that legislation," referring to the province's prohibition connected municipal-federal agreements made without provincial approval.

'An all-government approach'

According to Gondek, "if we don't get that backing quickly, oregon we don't get it astatine all, what it means is that your municipal authorities has paid retired wealth to big an lawsuit that is not our event. It is simply a national event."

The G7 leaders' acme is being led by Global Affairs Canada and the Prime Minister's Office, with the Government of Alberta and City of Calgary among a fig of cardinal partners and stakeholders involved.

Troy McLeod, the city's G7 firm director, emphasized that the acme is simply a collaborative effort involving each levels of government.

"The national authorities is covering each of our operational costs associated with the summit," helium said. 

"The provincial authorities is besides progressive with a fig of agencies supporting the event, truthful it's an all-government approach."

Reimbursement for expenses incurred by the metropolis volition beryllium covered done the Major International Event Security Cost Framework, a national program.

Eligible expenses volition beryllium those that autumn nether a Calgary Police Service fund approved by Public Safety Canada and endorsed by the RCMP, the summit's pb instrumentality enforcement agency. 

Calgary constabulary volition beryllium successful complaint of section aspects of the G7, including objection and protestation absorption successful the city, securing the Calgary International Airport and handling events taking spot successful the city. CPS volition besides beryllium supporting different instrumentality enforcement agencies with motorcades, postulation control, wide tract information and more.

Their extremity is "prioritizing the information and information of Calgarians" portion "minimizing disruptions to regular beingness passim the G7 summit.''

McLeod said the metropolis is moving with section agencies similar Tourism Calgary and the Calgary Downtown Association to amusement planetary delegates and journalists the champion broadside of Calgary, including done infrastructure repairs and attraction successful fashionable areas.

"Normally, we bash a batch of this close earlier Stampede," helium said. "We're turning the calendar guardant and we're doing these repairs aboriginal connected truthful the delegates tin spot our champion erstwhile they travel to the metropolis of Calgary."