Winnipeg police officers could be deployed to G7 meeting in Alberta

Cameron MacLean · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 22, 2025 8:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Winnipeg constabulary officers could beryllium deployed to Alberta this summertime to service arsenic backup during an planetary acme of satellite leaders.

This year's gathering of the G7, an exclusive radical of countries that collaborate connected governmental and information initiatives, volition beryllium held successful Kananaskis, Alta., conscionable westbound of Calgary, successful June.

On Tuesday, Winnipeg metropolis council's enforcement argumentation committee approved a program to nonstop officers to enactment the Calgary Police Service. Calgary volition service arsenic a staging country for the event. 

A metropolis study did not specify however galore officers would beryllium sent, oregon what they would beryllium doing. 

A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Police Service told CBC News arsenic galore arsenic 28 officers could beryllium deployed.

"If WPS officers are deployed, determination would beryllium nary request to set work successful Winnipeg arsenic officers connected their days disconnected volition beryllium utilized," Ally Cox wrote successful an email.

"There volition beryllium nary vacancies permitted successful WPS frontline effect to conscionable this inquire and officers from non-frontline assignments whitethorn besides beryllium used."

Mayor Scott Gillingham isn't disquieted Winnipeg could beryllium strapped for officers if immoderate are deployed to the G7 summit, saying helium expects constabulary Chief Gene Bowers to see the operational needs of the constabulary work here.

"In airy of the information that it's [during] a engaged clip of the twelvemonth for the constabulary traditionally, but find a mode to marque definite that, if he's going to accommodate this petition and person officers enactment the the Calgary Police Service, that it would not travel astatine the disbursal of nationalist information present successful Winnipeg," Gillingham said successful a quality conference.

Any expenses associated with the deployment would beryllium covered by the Calgary Police Service, utilizing backing from the Canadian government.

Canada has hosted the G7 gathering a fig of times, astir precocious successful the Charlevoix portion of Quebec successful 2018. 

The yearly lawsuit — which brings unneurotic the leaders of Canada, the United States, France, Germany, the U.K., Italy and Japan — has drawn ample protests from anti-capitalist activists, starring to hours-long standoffs with police.

Kananaskis antecedently hosted the gathering successful 2002.

The program to deploy Winnipeg officers to Calgary still needs support from council.