OPERATIONS DND Photo ALAV III protective detachment in the mountains near Kananaskis during the G8 Summit. THE KANANASKIS G8 SUMMIT: A CASE STUDY IN INTERAGENCY COOPERATION by Colonel David Barr Comprehensive civil military coordination, effective as some additional elements from across the CF.3 Despite coordination and timely decision making between the the significant contribution, very few CF resources were CF and Other Governmental Departments are key actually committed to the security aspect as that was the to effective support without trespassing on civilian responsibility of the police and law enforcement agencies. responsibilities.1 Although there was an infantry battalion on stand-by as a contingency force-of-last-resort, the CF contribution was Joint Task Force “Grizzly” — mainly support of logistics, infrastructure, communications, The Commander’s ceremonial and command post activities. ‘Strategic Centre of Gravity’ Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the Cops don’t do woods [or mountains]2 security concerns surrounding the hosting of the G8 Summit increased dramatically. In addition to the security challenges n June, 2001, Prime Minister Chrétien announced posed by the forested and mountainous terrain surrounding that the June 2002 G8 Summit would be held in the Kananaskis site, there was a new threat to consider. Kananaskis, Alberta. The selection of Kananaskis The anarchist was no longer the primary concern for the as the site came as somewhat of a surprise, and was security forces. The terrorist threat, ranging from the lone not welcomed by all Albertans. The violence and sniper to bombs to weapons of mass destruction — with an Iproperty damage that had come to be associated with equally wide range of delivery means — was clearly beyond demonstrations at recent international events such as the the capability of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Genoa G8 Summit and the Summit of the Americas in local law enforcement agencies. The CF was now going to Québec City in April, 2001 was cause for great concern be a key partner in the effort to secure the G8 site from for the organizers and hosts. There was little doubt that both ground and airborne threats. the Canadian Forces (CF) would be involved in a major way as part of the security and supporting arrangements for the Summit. After all, CF support to the Summit of the Americas Colonel David Barr is both the Project Director for Land Force Reserve had been the top domestic priority for the Department of Restructure in NDHQ and Director of Infantry. He was the Chief National Defence, and effectively consumed the full resources of Staff for the CF Joint Task Force “Grizzly” formed to support the of Secteur du Québec de la Force Terrestre (SQFT), as well G8 Summit in Kananaskis in June 2002. Winter 2003 – 2004 ● Canadian Military Journal 39 This article examines the Kananaskis G8 Summit ultimately responsible for making operational decisions as a case study in interagency cooperation. Although a related to G8 Summit Security and all information was plethora of municipal, provincial and federal agencies directed into the Unified Command Centre (UCC) [located in were involved in the conduct of the Summit, the article Calgary].”5 This became clear to the JTF only late in the plan- focuses on the interaction between the CF/DND, the RCMP/ ning cycle, and caused some command and control concerns Solicitor-General (SOLGEN), and the Summit Management for the JTF Commander that will be discussed later. The Office (SMO)/Department of Foreign Affairs and International Calgary Police operated in support of the RCMP, but were Trade (DFAIT). The case study will examine this interaction responsible for their own area of operations (Calgary), which from the perspective of the CF and, for the most part, included the significant security challenges of the Media from the view of the Joint Task Force (JTF) formed to assist Centre and Calgary Airport. The RCMP focus was primarily in the conduct of the Summit. A synopsis of the preparations on the Kananaskis site, but its responsibilities also included and the Summit itself will provide the background for all security aspects associated with moving the Heads of the examination of certain areas of interagency cooperation State to and from the Calgary Airport and Kananaskis. where lessons can be learned for the conduct of similar events in future. The CF contribution to the Summit was divided into two main elements. The first was JTF “Grizzly”, commanded OVERVIEW OF THE PREPARATIONS by Brigadier-General Ivan Fenton, based primarily on Land AND CONDUCT OF THE SUMMIT Force Western Area (LFWA). The mission of JTF “Grizzly” was “to support the Government of Canada in the successful The Organization and Key Players execution of the 2002 G8 Summit.”6 In addition to its headquarters, the task force consisted of four components: The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade was the lead agency responsible for the coordination and •ALand Component, based on 1 Canadian Mechanized conduct of the G8 Summit. Ambassador Robert Fowler was Brigade Group (1 CMBG). Its primary task was to appointed as the Prime Minister’s special representative for assist the RCMP in securing the approaches to the oversight of the Summit4, but DFAIT’s Summit Management Kananaskis site; Office, led by Executive Director John Klassen, was clearly in overall charge of the preparations. In March 2002, the •ASupport Component, based on 1 Area Support SMO moved from Ottawa to Calgary. Group (1 ASG). Its main tasks were to provide logistics and administrative support to the JTF, provide an The Solicitor General had overall responsibility for NBC decontamination capability, and assist the SMO the security of the Summit, with the RCMP as the lead with movement control, transportation, communications agency. Chief Superintendent Lloyd Hickman was the and ceremonial support; Officer in Charge of Summit Security Operations, and was clearly the person overall in charge of security planning • An Air Component, whose main tasks were to provide and preparations. However, during the actual Summit, aerospace coordination over the Kananaskis Valley and “the Incident Commander [Superintendent Bob Boyd for the to provide aviation support to the JTF and to the RCMP day shift and Inspector Tim Gray for the night shift] was for the transport of Heads of State; and •Asmall JTF Reserve which was prepared to respond to a number of contingencies, but was uncommitted at the outset of the Summit so as to maintain its flexibility of employment for the JTF Commander7. Other CF elements employed in the Kananaskis area in support of the RCMP, but which were not part of the JTF, included the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Response Team and Joint Task Force 2. The significant second part of the CF contribution that was outside of the control of the Commander JTF “Grizzly” was the Defensive Counter Air organization. It was tasked to secure the airspace over the G8 Summit, and consisted of Canadian CF-18s, Griffon helicopters, ground-based air defence Photo by Major Derek Macaulay missile systems and United States Air Force AWACs and strategic air-to-air refueling A joint Canadian Forces/RCMP security patrol in the woods surrounding the Summit site in Kananaskis. aircraft. Its operations were coordinated and 40 Canadian Military Journal ● Winter 2003 – 2004 Kananaskis G8 Summit Organizational Relationships the anticipated tasks laid out in this National Command Authority initial strategic guidance were based on the Summit of the America’s experience, and did not reflect the unique terrain DFAIT challenges of Kananaskis. A preliminary DCA estimate prepared by the small JTF Shoot-Down planning team in LFWA Headquarters Authority Amb Fowler anticipated a far greater range of Assistance to Law Enforcement (ALEA) SOLGEN DND tasks than anticipated by NDHQ, and a OPERATIONS request for greater clarification of potential CF tasks was sent to National Defence 10 RCMP SMO CDS Comd Headquarters on 17 August. In any case, (Ottawa) (John Klassen) ............ NORAD the events of September 11th changed the DCDS situation and the strategic estimate concerning CF involvement dramatically. CF Strategic Assets CANR (NBCRT, JTF 2) (MGen Lucas) Shortly thereafter, requests for significant CF involvement began to arrive from the SMO and the RCMP. Planning, RCMP (G8) JTF particularly with regard to the requirement (C/Supt Hickman) GRIZZLY for an Air Exclusion Zone (AEZ) over (BGen Fenton) ADATS Battery Kananaskis and Calgary, was carried out DCA Helicopters in some detail during the Fall months. Other Law Unified Calgary DCA Fighters This was focused by the need to have the Enforcement Command Police AWACS parameters of the AEZ identified and Agencies Centre Services TPS-70 Radar (Supt Boyd, published by NAVCAN/Transport Canada Insp Gray) in the form of a NOTAM by 24 January Land Support JTF Air 2002. Although a relatively detailed Component Component Res Component Warning Order was issued by the JTF Headquarters in late November 2001, Joint Airspace detailed security planning and a clearer Coordination Centre definition of the role that the JTF was to have on the ground was not achieved Figure 1 until the Spring of 2002. Note: Arrow indicate direction of inter-agency support. Solid lines indicate normal command relationships. Dotted lines indicate bi-national coordination. In the New Year, the pace of coordi- nation meetings and planning sessions controlled by Major-General Lucas, Commander Canadian involving all agencies picked up significantly, and the JTF NORAD Region, from Winnipeg.8 The authority to engage Commander ultimately briefed the DCDS and the CDS on air threats to the Summit involved NORAD, but ultimately his concept of operations. The major impediment to JTF rested with the Canadian National Command Authority. planning was a changing concept of how the Land Component was to be employed in the outer security zones surrounding Figure 1 depicts the CF organizations and internal the G8 site.