There goes the neighbourhood!

Muskoka will host G20 Summit

Muskoka will be welcoming more countries than expected this June. Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially announced this morning that Canada and South Korea will be co-hosting a G20 Summit in Muskoka... The federal government has invested some $30 million in infrastructure in Huntsville.

Already, townsfolk and tourists alike are battening down the hatches. What will happen to those who must go in and out of the area? We are going to have more visitors on land, sea, and in the air, while those trying to do their business are going to be left out in the check points, trying to get into town. The Privy Council Office has been merrily planning their way through this.

UPDATE: Bonnie asked a good question: I thought it worth answering here!
Well, Bonnie! Agencies and businesses are meeting with the G8 team to determine an understanding of what they need, and determine the protocols. Medical staff, Family health practitioners, EMS crews, those who work in homes, VON, visiting caregivers, hospice volunteers, -- all will be affected.

Those who live near to Deerhurst (found at the northerly end of Huntsville, pop. 18,5000, see this terrific video that outlines the geography: YouTube - Huntsville G8 2010 Canada Pre-tour! - Map at end...)


Private citizens are busily making vacation plans, while renting out their homes/cottages, others just plan to be out of town, while hiring a security firm to watch their place!Huntsville residents have their own site:

Deerhurst, where the event is coming down (rooms @ $650/night) , is at the north end of town, but these single (at most double) point entry, with winding roads, mean that families are going to have to go through a check point to go to their cottages. There will be an effect on roads, for hospitals, jails, and so on. The OPP is one of the most visible groups.
To give you an idea: here are photos from CranFest, 2008!

The OPP 2009 PROVINCIAL BUSINESS PLAN 2008 ANNUAL REPORT
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
"Central Region, Huntsville OPP Detachment and various OPP provincial support programs are actively involved in major event planning for the upcoming 2010 G8"

You can see them in various locales in Muskoka, and you never know when you will be affected by their actions. In March, 2009, we were stopped on the highway for no apparent purpose, with a plane overhead, and several OPP crews zipping by, stopping traffic for about 5 minutes.

A Globe Article suggests:

• fighter planes
• heads of state arriving by boat
• boat rentals (normally $300/day) will be limited
• renting luxurious $2 million homes for $25,000
• protesters, and possible violence
• infrastructure must handle the 5,000 journalists
• several thousand protesters
• tens of thousands of political and security aides are standard G8 baggage

Land


Sea


Air







...The 2010 G8 Summit will be held June 25 to 27, bringing together leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

• How the G8 Works
• G8 Members
• G8 Background