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The G7 summit with leaders from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the European Union and Japan will take place in Kananaskis, Alberta this coming June 15 to 17.

On June 7, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney announced his government’s three priorities for the summit:

“Protecting our communities and the world – strengthening peace and security, countering foreign interference and transnational crime, and improving joint responses to wildfires.

Building energy security and accelerating the digital transition – fortifying critical mineral supply chains and using artificial intelligence and quantum to unleash economic growth.

Securing the partnerships of the future – catalyzing enormous private investment to build stronger infrastructure, create higher-paying jobs, and open dynamic markets where businesses can compete and succeed.”

“One Canadian Economy Act” and megaprojects

This G7 announcement comes a day after CBC News reported on the introduction of the One Canadian Economy Act that: “The prime minister said [would] speed up the approval process of major infrastructure projects, reducing approval times from five years to two by introducing a ‘one-project, one-review’ approach instead of having federal and provincial approval processes happen sequentially.”

That article further highlights: “Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler called the government’s rollout of the bill a “huge disappointment,” saying they received an invitation to be part of a briefing an hour before the government tabled the bill. ‘They’re not off to a great start,’ he said. ‘It’s just a failure from the onset to do their jobs, which is to reach out to First Nations.’ Nishnawbe Aski Nation represents 59 First Nations in Ontario in territory covering two-thirds of the province’s land mass.”

Photo: Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler.

“Infrastructure Projects Act” and PRGT fracked gas pipeline

It also comes about a week after the British Columbia government passed Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Act.

CBC News reports the bill “is aimed at fast-tracking public sector projects like schools and hospitals, as well as private projects, such as critical mineral mines, that are deemed provincially significant.”

It also comes just days after the Financial Post reported: “British Columbia has once again green-lit the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline, reaffirming an approval first issued under the former Christy Clark government for the line that will supply a major new liquefied natural gas export terminal proposed on the province’s northern coast. The decision by the head of B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) on Thursday [June 5] means that PRGT’s environmental assessment certificate will remain in effect for the life of the project, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for the 12-million-tonne-per-year (Mtpa) Ksi Lisims LNG project.”

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, says: “There are First Nations who have very loudly stated their opposition to this pipeline and they will continue to do so. The Declaration [on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples] Act and interim approach are being tossed out the window. This is not a government who believes in reconciliation and it could trigger a long, hot summer.”

Photo: Grand Chief Stewart Phillip.

“Unleashing Our Economy Act” and Ring of Fire mining

And it comes two days after another CBC News article reported on the passage of Bill 5, the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, that “empowers the government (among other things) to create special economic zones, where cabinet can exempt companies or projects from having to comply with any provincial law, provincial regulation or municipal bylaw.”

That article notes: “Ford wants Ontario’s first special economic zone to be the Ring of Fire mineral deposit, some 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, in the heart of Treaty 9 territory. The area is said to be full of so-called critical minerals, such as cobalt, lithium and nickel, in high demand for the tech industry.”

CBC News also highlights: “Ford put the Ring of Fire at the top of his list presented to Prime Minister Mark Carney [on Monday June 2] for consideration as a potential nation-building project. … The other items on Ford’s list are also projects that could be designated special economic zones: new nuclear power plants, a new deep-sea port on James Bay, Ford’s vision of a tunnel under Highway 401 through Toronto, and an expansion of the GO Transit network. … It’s now up to Carney to decide which projects merit federal backing, whether through fast-track approvals or funding.”

Video still: Protest inside the Legislature as Bill 5 is passed.

Militarization of territory

The Calgary Herald reports that security measures in Kananaskis include “the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry”, military helicopters, an “exclusion zone”, barricades, “olive green military trucks that are seemingly everywhere”, “a security perimeter of black fabric-clad metal fencing”, “surveillance cameras mounted on metal poles”, and now “overflights by CF-18 fighters preceded the military helicopters that have begun flying over the area 100 metres above the treetops.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has announced: “The ISSG, in collaboration with its safety and security partners has identified three official G7 Designated Demonstration Zones (DDZs): one in Banff and two in Calgary. These zones will be in accessible areas outside the Controlled Access Zone (CAZ) perimeter.”

Calgary is about 100 kilometres from the G7 meeting site, while Banff is about 80 kilometres from the summit venue.

CityNews notes the “designated protest sites” in Calgary, will be “Municipal Plaza, Victoria Park and the Edward H. LaBorde Viewing Area near Calgary International Airport.”

Counter-summit and rally planned

CBC News has reported: “Shivangi Misra, chair of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) in Canada, said a coalition of groups is planning a two-day counter-summit and rally. ‘There are a couple of programs that are being put together and this is mostly led by people in Alberta,’ Misra said. ‘It includes Indigenous groups, climate activists, people’s organizations, human rights organizations. [They are] coming together to say that [G7 leaders] are not welcome because the policies, the work, the effort, the agenda that the G7 countries are uniting on is not in the interest of the people.’ Misra said issues like the cost of living, the housing crisis and migrant justice — among other issues — should be at the top of the agenda for this year’s summit.”

Photo: Shivangi Misra.

That article further notes: “Misra with the ILPS added that many formal and informal groups are still finalizing their plans, with some choosing not to go public yet for safety or security reasons. But she questioned the use of designated zones, calling them a barrier to free expression. ‘We are exercising a constitutional right to protest. These protest zones fundamentally undermine … the civil and political rights that people have a right to exercise,’ she said.”

Image from ILPS on Instagram.

NATO summit, June 24-25, 5% of GDP on military spending

A week after the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Carney will be in The Hague from June 24-25 for NATO Summit 2025.

This follows the NATO Defence Ministers meeting on June 5 in Brussels where NATO says the ministers, including David McGuinty from Canada, agreed to “an ambitious new set of capability targets to build a stronger, fairer, more lethal Alliance, and ensure warfighting readiness for years to come.”

The NATO statement adds: “The targets are the basis for a new defence investment plan which is expected to be approved at the NATO Summit in The Hague. The proposal calls for Allies to invest 5% of GDP in defence, including 3.5% on core defence spending, as well as 1.5% of GDP per year on defence and security-related investment, including in infrastructure and resilience.”

Photo: Palestinian and Quaker activists hold a “No War, No Warming” banner outside the CANSEC arms show while Defence Minister David McGuinty speaks inside, May 28, 2025. Photo by Koozma J. Tarasoff.

We continue to follow this.

Additional reading: Canada intends to sign on to the ReArm Europe procurement pact by July 1 (PBI-Canada, May 31, 2025).

On Wednesday May 28, more than 300 people gathered outside the EY Centre in Ottawa to protest the annual CANSEC arms show.

The protest follows the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) preliminary ruling in January 2024 in which the court found that it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.

It also follows the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision in November 2024 that issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli prime minister and defence minister for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

And just three weeks prior to CANSEC, 38 human rights experts, including 18 UN Special Rapporteurs warned: “Continuing to support Israel materially or politically, especially via arms transfers, and the provision of private military and security services risks complicity in genocide and other serious international crimes.”

Among the 280+ exhibitors inside the EY Centre were transnational corporations – including Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Boeing, General Dynamics, Elbit Systems, Gastops – profiting from the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

Thirteen arrests

Despite the protest being focused on the complicity of these weapons companies in the aiding and abetting of international crimes, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) directed their attention against those who gathered to say no to genocide and repression.

The Palestinian Youth Movement has posted on Instagram: “A total of 13 arrests were made yesterday, including the arrests of a journalist and a medic, and nine of them received baseless charges in a clear effort of intimidation by the OPS.”

Labour 4 Palestine has also posted: “Ottawa chapters of Palestinian Youth Movement, Labour for Palestine, and Independent Jewish Voices have created a joint Community Defence Fund to counter this repression and solidify our movement for justice.”

That post highlights: “TO DONATE: E-transfer to l4pcanada@gmail.com and note ‘community defence’ in the message field.”

More than 270 officers, tear-gas cannons

Reporting on police actions, The Fulcrum notes: “By 8a.m., police divisions including B11, B12, B21, B22, B31, and B32 were deployed and positioned throughout the protests. …By 8:30a.m., paramedic and fire police divisions were also present. …By 9:30a.m., over 270 officers were present before further officers from A1, A2, A3, A4, and A22 were brought in. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) also began to communicate and organize with OPS officers. …Another contingent of officers [arrived] at 9:38a.m. The protest was then encircled and isolated from members standing on the sidewalk while officers wielding tear-gas cannons were positioned outside the convention center.”

‘Detainee pressed onto the concrete’

The Fulcrum further reports: “By 10:14a.m., officers then attempted to shove protesters once more, resulting in eleven arrests, including a reported medic and one independent journalist. Officers pressed one detainee onto the concrete before pulling the individual up and away from the rest of the protest.”

Video still from Radio-Canada.

Journalist arrested

The North Star, an independent, bilingual media outlet, has condemned the arbitrary arrest of its journalist Ramona Murphy.

The North Star notes: “Murphy was covering the demonstration as a volunteer journalist. She was filming police actions when she [was arrested]. …Eyewitness accounts and live footage confirm her role as an observer. …Arresting a journalist, whether a volunteer or not, is a frontal attack on press freedom.”

The Ottawa Citizen reports: “The North Star said police threatened Murphy with mischief and resisting arrest charges.”

She was released eight hours later without charges.

‘Police leave no room for media to document the demonstration’

Journalist Lital Khaikin also reported: “Local and provincial police, outfitted in anti-riot gear, maintained a heavy presence, while private security guarded the outer gates. A surveillance drone hovered above the parking lot outside CANSEC’s gated entrance. Police lines were positioned tightly around protesters, frequently leaving no room for media to move between and document the demonstration.”

“Officers were pushing us by our throats”

The Fulcrum also reports: “A remaining group of protesters, attempting to console an individual who was choked and reportedly had their ribs bruised by an officer, was then encircled by OPS, where officers arrested an individual before leaving. The aforementioned choked individual was then hospitalized for their injuries.”

The article adds: “The Fulcrum then talked with protesters, who requested anonymity, and received several testimonies.  One protester involved in the encircled group stated that ‘two officers, an OPS and special constable, choked me along with two other individuals.’ Reports of choking by officers were noted by other protesters who commented that ‘officers were pushing us by our throats in the crowd.’ An additional protester stated that ‘an officer kept playing with the holster of his gun while facing me.’”

We continue to follow this.

Photo: On August 22, 2024, the Gitanyow closed a road on their territory to stop the construction of the PRGT pipeline.

The provincial government of British Columbia will allow the construction of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) fracked gas pipeline on Gitanyow and Gitxsan territories despite their opposition to the megaproject.

On June 5, 2025, a Government of British Columbia information bulletin stated: “The chief executive assessment officer of the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has determined that the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) natural gas pipeline project has been substantially started.”

With this decision, the environmental assessment certificate issued in 2014 remains in effect allowing for the construction of the pipeline.

The 800-kilometre pipeline will start in the Hudson’s Hope area of northeast British Columbia, cross 50 kilometres of Gitanyow territory, 120 kilometres of Gitxsan territory, and end at the Ksi Lisims Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal on Pearse Island, 82 kilometres north of Prince Rupert in the Nass estuary on Nisga’a territory in northwest B.C.

The proposed pipeline would cross more than 1,000 waterways, some of which are major salmon-bearing rivers.

The megaproject was first approved under the ownership of Calgary-based TC Energy (that built the Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline on Wet’suwet’en territory) but is now owned by Texas-based Western LNG and the Nisga’a Nation.

More than 80 land defenders, observers and journalists were arrested by the controversial Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) between January 2019 and November 2021 during the resistance to the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet’suwet’en territory.

Indigenous opposition to PRGT

Amnesty International has noted: “PRGT’s proposed route passes through the unceded, ancestral territories of several Indigenous Nations. Numerous Nations, including the Gitanyow, Gitxsan and members of the Nisga’a have voiced their opposition to the project being permitted to proceed on environmental assessments that are over a decade old. Both the Gitanyow and Gitxsan has erected blockades along the proposed pipeline route to prevent construction from advancing. Several court cases have been filed against the PRGT project, as well as the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG terminal project.”

Gitanyow opposition

A media release from the Gitanyow Hereditary Chief highlights: “The Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs do not recognize the legal validity of the B.C. Government’s decision announced today in favour of a ‘substantial start’ designation being granted for the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project and vow to continue their fight to stop construction of the pipeline on their land.”

The Narwhal adds: “In a statement, Simooget (Chief) Watakhayetsxw Deborah Good said the decision ‘isn’t the end of the story.’ Watakhayetsxw was one of the Gitanyow Chiefs who set up a blockade last August when pipeline construction started, barring any industry-related traffic from passing through. ‘We’ll continue to fight to protect our territory (Lax’yip) with all actions needed, in the courts and on the ground,’ she said. ‘From August to November 2024, we denied access for PRGT pipeline construction and we’ll be continuing our efforts to ensure no construction happens on our territory,’ she said.”

That article also notes: “Naxginkw Tara Marsden, Wilp Sustainability Director with the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs, questioned whether the project met criteria for the substantial start decision. …The work done on the PRGT pipeline mainly consisted of clearing forest from a short section of the 800-kilometre route on Nisga’a lands. …’Our livelihoods depend on healthy and abundant sockeye from the Nass and Skeena rivers,’ Naxginkw [further cautioned]. ‘This pipeline would cut across some of the healthiest intact salmon watersheds left in B.C.’”

The ownership issue and next steps

CBC News further notes: “Tara Marsden, sustainability director for the Gitanyow hereditary chiefs, has previously told CBC News she is worried the push to approve new projects in the face of the economic threats emanating from the United States would sideline environment concerns. She pointed out that Western LNG has significant backing from Blackstone Inc., a major American asset manager whose CEO publicly endorsed Trump and contributed to his campaign — undermining any notion that the project is needed to push back against the American president.”

Stand.earth adds: “In January of this year, it was announced that Blackstone Investments was making a significant investment in Western LNG to help cover the cost of acquiring the outstanding permits for both projects. However, before construction can begin, significant hurdles remain. The joint venture partners have not achieved Final Investment Decision and will need to secure $22 billion in funding. Stephen Schwarzman and Blackstone are likely going to be key players in reaching that milestone.”

Peace Brigades International

Peace Brigades International-Canada intends to visit Gitanyow, Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en territory in the coming weeks.

From May 16-30, 2025, PBI-Canada provided support to the Friends of Gitxsan and Gitanyow who recently constructed a tiny house that will become a home for Mass Gwitkunuxws (Teresa Brown), who has been operating a dog rescue sanctuary and resistance camp located on the pathway of the PRGT pipeline.

In March 2024, PBI-Canada hosted a webinar on “Gitxsan and Gitanyow resistance to colonial megaprojects” with a panel that included Tara Marsden, the Wilp Sustainability Director for the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs, and Gitxsan land defender and protection specialist Kolin Sutherland-Wilson of the Kispiox Band.

Further reading: Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs close road to LNG trucks in resistance to the planned PRGT pipeline (August 23, 2024) and Gitanyow sustainability director Tara Marsden warns Blackstone-backed PRGT pipeline would accelerate climate change (April 25, 2025).

Image from Dogwoodbc on Instagram.

Photo: The LAV 6.0 MkII at CANSEC 2025.

On June 4, 2025, MSN reported: “General Dynamics Land Systems unveiled in Canada the new version of the LAV 6.0 armored personnel carrier during the CANSEC expo. The LAV 6.0 Mk 2 is an 8×8 platform with design and combat capability improvements over previous versions, including a redesigned turret with more powerful weaponry and enhanced tactical performance.”

LAV exports to Saudi Arabia

In September 2024, Project Ploughshares reported:

“In 2023, the high value of Canada’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia continued to be driven by the 2014 Canada-Saudi arms deal, the largest in Canadian history with a price tag of $14 billion. Under the terms of the contract, London, Ontario’s General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) is to supply the Saudi Royal Guard with 742 light armoured vehicles (LAVs). The vehicle variant, the LAV-700, is the most advanced available today.

According to Canada’s submission to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA), which collects data on actual arms exports rather than their sum value, Canada transferred 40 armoured combat vehicles (ACVs) to Saudi Arabia last year.

Since 2017, Canada has transferred 652 of these vehicles to the Saudi government. While Canada does not typically disaggregate the make and model of ACV transfers in its reports to UNROCA, it can be assumed that the majority of such transfers to Saudi Arabia since 2017 have been GDLS-C LAV 700s.”

Photo: General Dynamics LAV on display at CANSEC 2025.

Saudi repression of human rights defenders

In their report on human rights in Saudi Arabia in 2014/15, Amnesty International noted: “The government severely restricted freedoms of expression, association and assembly, and cracked down on dissent, arresting and imprisoning critics, including human rights defenders. …Authorities targeted the small but vocal community of human rights defenders, using anti-terrorism laws to suppress their peaceful actions to expose and address human rights violations.”

In their most recent report released in April 2025, Amnesty International continues to warn: “Human rights defenders and others exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association were subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention, unfair trials leading to lengthy prison terms, and travel bans.”

Canada says no direct link

The position of the Canadian government has been that Canadian-made LAVs cannot be directly connected to these human rights abuses.

In February 2018, the Canadian Press reported: “The federal government has not been able to determine with any certainty that Canadian-made light-armoured vehicles sold to Saudi Arabia were used by that country to suppress the Shiite minority in the eastern part of the country. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland confirmed that officials from her department did not find conclusive evidence that the Canadian-made vehicles have been used in human rights abuses.”

Ongoing concern

Project Ploughshares notes that Canada is contracted to produce 742 light armoured vehicles (LAVs) for Saudi Arabia. It adds that Canada has transferred 652 of these vehicles to the Saudi government since 2017. It also notes that 40 were transferred in 2023. If 40 were also transferred in 2024, that would suggest that 50 more LAVs could be exported to Saudi Arabia in 2025 and 2026.

We continue to follow this.

Photo: “Indigenous land defenders are leading the fight to protect lands and waters from Bill 5. Today mothers from Grassy Narrows were removed from the legislature today trying to send their message that their lands and rights will not be trampled #StopBill5 #TreatiesOverBill5” Photo by Free Grassy: Grassy Narrows Solidarity.

The Canadian Press reports: “Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government has given itself the power to suspend provincial and municipal laws for chosen projects in areas it deems to have economic importance, citing the need to speed up development of mines, but First Nations warn confrontation is brewing.”

That article adds: “The legislation will create so-called ‘special economic zones’, where the province could suspend laws in order to speed up projects such as mines, and the government has said the Ring of Fire would be the first such zone.”

Shut down the Ring of Fire

Chris Moonias, the former chief of Neskantaga First Nation, says: “We’re going to shut down the Ring of Fire. Whatever that means, whatever we can do, we’re going to shut it down. I promise you that.”

Prior to the passage of the legislation, the Canadian Press had reported: “First Nations say the bill tramples their rights and ignores their concerns and they have warned they may blockade roads and railways in protest.”

Grand Chief Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation has previously told CBC News: “There will be conflict on the ground, and those that oppose it will most likely end up in jail. That is where we’re heading.”

The risk of OPP violence

In response to the warning of Indigenous blockades, Premier Ford says: “You can’t break the law. Simple as that. … They need to move on or they’ll be dealt with appropriately.”

Sudbury.com notes: “[NDP member of the provincial legislature Sol Mamakwa asks] ‘What is the OPP [Ontario Provincial Police] going to do to the First Nations, once they start fighting on the land? That’s the scary part.’”

That article adds: “One of the people who spoke at Monday’s [June 2] anti-Bill 5 rally at Queen’s Park was the sister of Dudley George.”

“[Mamakwa has cautioned] ‘Dudley George was a land defender who was killed by the Ontario Provincial Police for participating in the occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park. If this government does not rescind Bill 5, First Nations are united and ready to defend their rights on the land. I ask the premier: Is your government ready to face the disruption that Bill 5 will cause?’”

30^th anniversary of OPP killing of Dudley George

George was killed by an OPP sniper on September 6, 1995.

On September 10, 1995, the Peace Brigades International-North America Project (PBI-NAP) reported that it had received a verbal invitation to: “be observers for First Nations people if needed; be present during discussions between the different groups as a nonpartisan witness; do accompaniment for anyone fearing further violence on the part of the police; write nonpartisan reports on what we witness and hear.”

By July/August 1996, PBI-NAP reported: “PBI has made three more visits to the area of Ipperwash.”

PBI-Canada also recalls that the Ipperwash Inquiry that followed the murder of Dudley George was included recommendations on how Indigenous protests and occupations could be addressed to prevent the killing of another land defender.

The C-IRG as a “national best practice”

With the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG, now rebranded as CRU-BC) adopted as a “national best practice”, we express our concern about potential actions by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in response to peaceful Indigenous resistance to the Ring of Fire.

Critical minerals and weapons

The Government of Ontario has highlighted: “The region has long-term potential to produce chromite, cobalt, nickel, copper and platinum.”

In January 2025, US Department of Defense (DOD) News noted: “Secure sourcing of critical minerals is critical to the defense industrial base, which uses them to produce virtually every Defense Department system, from unmanned aerial systems and fighter jets to submarines, said Adam Burstein [technical director for strategic and critical materials in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy].”

Critical minerals including chromite can be used for aircraft engines, cobalt for munitions, high-temperature aerospace alloys, high-capacity batteries, nickel for armour plating in tanks and anti-aircraft firearms, batteries for propulsion and storage, copper for wiring, guidance systems, ammunition and naval vessels, and platinum is used in the production of missiles, jet engines, and a vast array of military electronics.

Voices of land defenders

We are looking to the voices of Neskantaga First Nation Chief Gary Quisess, as well as former chief Chris Moonias; the First Nations Land Defence Alliance; Hannah Sewell, co-chair of Ontario’s First Nations Young People’s Council; Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation; among others.

We will also be looking to Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) and Free Grassy: Grassy Narrows Solidarity.

We continue to follow this.