Security measures take root in Quebec town as G7 nears - Action News
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Security measures take root in Quebec town as G7 nears

Residents of La Malbaie, Que., are starting to see the first signs of the security measures that will be put in place ahead of G7 summit, which takes place in June.

Heavy fences, visible police presence indications of what awaits residents in June

Danielle Amyot pinpoints her home on a map of La Malbaie. She will need a special pass to travel from her home to her workplace come June. (Peter Tardif/CBC)

People who live in La Malbaie, Que.,arebeginning to see what it really means to inviteworld leaders to spend aweekend in their small municipality.

Heads of statefromGermany, France, Japan, Italy, the United States, United Kingdom and Canada will make their way to the coastal town nestled along the St. Lawrence River, about 150 kilometres east of Quebec City,for their annual Group of Seven Summit (G7) on June 8 and 9.

The meeting will alsomarkDonald Trump'sfirst official visit to Canada as U.S. president.

While the G7 isstill months away, securitymeasures are already becoming more and more visible.

One that is hard to miss isthe roughly three-metre tallsecurityfence built aroundtheManoirRichelieu and the Casino deCharlevoix,where the summitwill take place.

The heavy fenceis being built inthe wooded area that surrounds both buildings. Anchored into the ground, it willblock all road access to the site.
A security fence is being built around the Manoir Richelieu and the Casino de Charlevoix in La Malbaie in preparation for June's G7 Summit. (Peter Tardif/CBC)

Referred to as the interdiction zone,thefenced-in area will only be accessible toheads of state,their staff, police and people who work at both venues.

Children concerned with flyovers

"It's not the fence of the Summit of the Americas," said Corporal Isabelle Michaudof theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police(RCMP),referringto the barricade erected duringthe 2001 summit in Quebec City.

That fence was more than threekilometres longand was anchored by concrete blocks.

It was breached by anti-globalization protestersduring thesummit that made international headlines.
Sret du Qubec police officer Marie-ve Martin (left) and RCMP Corporal Isabelle Michaud are both part of the G7's Integrated Security Unit in La Malbaie. (Peter Tardif/CBC)

Corporal Michaudis with theG7'sIntegrated Security Unit (ISU), which includes two RCMPand two provincial police officers.

They'vebeen stationed in LaMalbaiesince September to answer people's questions and give information about the summit.

"We patrol a lot, we go to the mall, we go to every place we can reach people," saidMichaud.

Michaudsaid military ships andhelicopters have also started showing up in LaMalbaieto scope out the coastal town.

"Which is normal,to be ableto see the lay of the land,"Michaudsaid.
The ISU has been been touring local schools to give information about the summit. It held a drawing contest asking students to draw what they thought police work entails. (Peter Tardif/CBC)

The flyovershave raised questions fromlocal children.That's why the ISU has been touring schools in the area to talk to hundreds of students.

"We've been through every primary school and we've done a presentation about the summit," Michaud explained.

Checkpoints for commuters

While the occasional ship and helicopterhasgarnered some concern from locals, Michaudsaidthe majority ofquestions sheand her colleagues arefielding have to do with the extendedsecurity perimeter aroundthe site of the G7.

Therectangular swath of landwhichwillbe underheightened surveillance is about 10 kilometres long and several hundreds meters wide.

Roughly1,000 residents live in the beltdubbed the restriction zone.

Theareawon't be fenced in, but will be equipped withseveral checkpoints during the summit.

That meanspeoplewho live and work in that area will require a special photo ID to enter and travel about.
The green line on this map delineates the restriction zone for the upcoming G7 Summit in La Malbaie. Only the people who live and work in this zone will be allowed in this area during the summit and they will all require a photo ID to enter and travel within it. (Submitted by RCMP)

That's the case for Danielle Amyot. She only found out this week that she'll need a pass to travel from her home in the restriction zone to her workplace in inSainte-Irne, about 15 kilometres away.

She admits theevent's security measureswill bring on some inconveniences when it comes to travelling, but shethinks the G7 will be good for business and tourism in the longrun.

"Once they've seenCharlevoixand the way that we welcome people, I thinkthey will come back,"Amyotsaid.

She said overall all people arelooking forward to the summit, but also for the whole ordeal to be over.

"I think it willbe an interesting event."

Controversy over free speech zone

Heads of state and policy makers aren't the only ones who are expected to roll through town in June.

The ISUhas also announced the free speech zone meant to accommodate protesters will beroughly 1.5kilometres away from ManoirCharlevoix.

Located in the parking lot of the Muse de Charlevoix, within the restriction zone, the designated protestarea willbe enclosed by a 1.5-kilometre-long fence.

"This is the closest they could be," saidMichaud."That's the best option so far."
The designated free speech zone for the G7 Summit will be located in the parking lot of the Muse de Charlevoix, roughly 1.5 kilometres away from the where world leaders will be meeting. This area will be fenced in time for the G7. (Peter Tardif/CBC)

Groups that plan to protest the G7 say they have a betteridea where they should be allowed to protest.

"We think the whole country should be a free speech zone," said Brent Patterson,the political director of the Council of Canadians, a public interest group.

Patterson says having adesignated protest zonefar away from where the actualsummitis happening means leaders won't see protesters.

"Political leaders need to feel pressure, they need to know people care and to hear what people have to say," saidPatterson.

Meanwhile, DanielleAmyotsays she's not concerned about people showing up in her town to demonstrate.

"We are allowed to protest in Canada, thank God, "Amyotsaid.

"We'll just hope thesecurity will be there to keep otherpeople, who are just coming here to be on TV, frombreakinganything."