Feds flying in 3,000 police officers

OTTAWA • The federal government plans to spend more than $2.2 million to fly roughly 3,000 police officers and dozens of German shepherds from all over the country to Quebec City to help secure the sites for next month’s G7 leaders’ summit.

The G7 leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May, will meet June 8-9 inside a highly secured zone behind metal fences that wind through the now-fortified vacation town of La Malbaie.

The event is widely expected to attract large groups of protesters to La Malbaie and, in particular, to Quebec City, where the majority of international media will be stationed for the duration of the summit.

Much like the scenes outside major international summits of the past, the demonstrations could erupt into violence.

To ensure there’s enough muscle on the ground to protect the G7 sites, Ottawa will start ferrying officers from the RCMP and other forces to Quebec City this month on chartered flights from seven other provinces, according to a tender notice issued by the government.

Related government documents dated Tuesday show that Ottawa awarded three contracts for the chartered flights totalling more than $2.2 million.

“These charter aircraft are required to transport an estimated 3,000 RCMP and other police forces personnel, and their personal and duty-related belongings, from across Canada to perform various site security functions for the 2018 G7 summit,” said the statement of work on the notice.

The contract says the RCMP requires planes that can transport up to 200 passengers per flight. It also outlined specific carry-on requirements.

“All passengers are peace officers who have an operational requirement to access their firearm immediately before and immediately after the flight and are therefore required to carry their unloaded personal firearm on board the aircraft,” said the document.

Ammunition, it also noted, would be packed in the checked baggage.

The aircraft companies will also be required to transport dog masters and their police service dogs, which are described in the document as German shepherds each between 70 and 100 pounds. The dogs, up to three per flight, will be kept in crates while on board and their handlers will be responsible for caring for them during the flights, the notice said.

The contract also requires in-flight meals and snacks, accompanied by non-alcoholic drinks.

The document includes an example flight schedule, which lists 26 flights to Quebec City before the summit starting May 23. There will be 16 return flights for the officers — the first one will leave Quebec City on June 9, the final day of the summit, the schedule said.