Strong action will be taken for planes, drones violating G7 no-fly zone, says RCMP
CBC
The RCMP says air restrictions will be in place in two main areas during the upcoming G7 Leaders' Summit in Alberta this June and officials will make sure that no unwanted drones or aircraft enter airspace.
Sgt. Mark Basanta from RCMP Protective Operations said the no-fly zones will include both the Calgary International Airport and Kananaskis, where the leaders will be.
He said the radius at Kananaskis Village will be 30 nautical miles (56 kilometres), while it will be 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) at the airport.
The restrictions are set to begin at 6 a.m. MT June 14 and remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on June 17.
Basanta said unauthorized aircraft and drones will be met by RCMP or Canadian Forces aircraft and could be shot down as a last resort.
"Shooting is an extreme measure, but yeah, we have the capability to take them down," Basanta said Friday in an aircraft hangar at the Springfield airport, located on Calgary's western edge.
"Our hope is if they're heading toward it, there will be a broadcast over their frequency and basically they'll be told to change their heading," he added.
"Short of doing that, they can expect to be intercepted by the Canadian Armed Forces that are flying. They will be met. They will be intercepted. We do have F-18s flying a combat air patrol. Hopefully that's enough of a deterrent."
Canada will host leaders from the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy, as well as the European Union at the meeting scheduled from June 15 to 17.
Basanta said his biggest concern is the use and popularity of drones. He said there will be a counter-drone team deployed in the Kananaskis region to curb their behaviours.
"We have a lot of people in the country, a lot of drone enthusiasts that will be flying, but we do have measures where we can take them down," Basanta said.
He didn't specify what the measures could be but said drones pose a "grave risk."
"Our main concern is the hobbyists flying the drones inadvertently flying into the aircraft. A threat from a drone is one thing … it's also ensuring the safety of our own aircraft that are in the air."
In January, a California man was charged after operating a drone that crashed into a Quebec water bomber fighting the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
More Albertans are waiting longer than clinically recommended for critical cardiac and cancer surgeries, sparking concern among health experts and calls for urgent action.
There have been four collisions involving transport trucks in northwestern Ontario in three days, prompting renewed calls for action to address ongoing safety concerns along Highway 11-17.
Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives will huddle behind closed doors at a policy convention this weekend as some Tories question the party’s direction after nearly eight years in power.
The father of a three-year-old girl that was killed after being struck by a vehicle in Cambridge in mid-December says recent charges laid to the driver bring little comfort and relief.
The start of kindergarten can be a time of excitement or anxiety for parents, guardians and children — and also for Prince Edward Island's education officials as they try to staff schools appropriately.
Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation (NNC)’s proposed hydro project is facing some backlash in Pangnirtung.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will take to the stage Friday for what could be one of the most important speeches of his political career as he tries to convince delegates at the party's Calgary convention to keep him in the job.
As his flight departed from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport en route to Kuwait via Istanbul, Canadian crypto fugitive Andean Medjedovic was unaware that his globe-trotting lifestyle would soon be halted.
One of the largest taxi companies in Toronto will be down to three wheelchair-accessible cabs by the end of March, as advocates and providers say the city is failing to support accessible taxi drivers.
As a deep freeze continues to envelop southwestern Ontario at the same time municipalities deal with a pressing shortage of road salt, there's a renewed focus on finding different ways to melt road ice.
Dave Lawson is a proud Canadian who has bumper stickers that say "Canada is not for sale." He's fed up with grocery products plastered with maple leaves and patriotic logos that turn out to be American imports.
The Town of Badger has issued an evacuation order for some residents as water levels on the Exploits River continue to rise.
The head of a national seniors' advocacy organization says protecting nursing home residents from sexual abuse is an important but challenging issue.