On the road to the G7 in Kananaskis, a popular wilderness retreat locks down

"Please, allow me to show you my bus that I drive for G7," says the driver.

Willi Mair makes his way around the side of the coach, a late-model Canadian-made Prevost. It's branded with the name of the company, Sunshine Coach, and painted with three slices of sunset red and golden yellow. 

He steps up the entrance of the bus and leans into the driver's area. The coach has all of the conveniences, Mair notes — he can lower the front for older people to come on board. It's got seatbelts, for safety. There's a washroom in the back.

"And it is, of course … air conditioned," he concludes, proudly.

Just a few days ago, Mair's bus was full of RCMP officers, heading to the G7 summit. They weren't in uniform, but they came carrying heavy bags. Mair, who likes to help passengers load their luggage, was surprised at their weight.

"I was afraid I would pull the handle off just by lifting," he said.

But the officers were very nice. Casual.

"And going to work, I guess."

Tuesday was the first day a controlled access zone came into effect in the Kananaskis region in advance of the G7 summit, a gathering of leaders from seven of the world's advanced economies. The summit has brought a significantly heightened police and military presence to this area. 

Now that the zone has come into effect, Mair is only driving security officials and staff from the Calgary International Airport as far as the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino, a little more than 25 kilometres from the summit site.

White tents at the casino play host to vehicle screening and act as a passenger switch-over point. Screened vehicles are escorted into the controlled access zone. Other passengers are moved in on pre-cleared buses.

"It is a big hoopla, for sure," Mair said. "But, it has to be this way."

The Bearspaw Kananaskis Travel Centre sits in the next parking lot over from the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino. Ellaina Benjamin is working the front counter.

Being situated right outside the road that takes delegates to the controlled access zone means these employees are seeing a lot — army helicopters, jets, and police from across the country.