As the 51st G7 Leaders’ Summit begins in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of global leaders. Ensuring the safety and success of such a large-scale event requires meticulous preparation, seamless coordination and expert training for all aspects of security and logistics. Calian has established itself as a trusted leader in providing public safety readiness training and exercises for major events. Our more recent experience in supporting Canada’s preparation for the 2025 G7 summit underscores this.
Through two strategic training exercises, Olympian Summit I and II, Calian played a critical role in ensuring the summit’s participating organizations are ready for anything. “The exercise series was designed to let the participating organizations work together and practice their procedures and interagency coordination to prepare for the G7 summit,” says Jay Ballard, Calian’s Vice President, Defence Learning. This preparation includes defence, security and public safety organizations from federal, provincial and municipal orders of government working together for G7 summit security.
Calian’s legacy of excellence in public safety readiness
For decades, Calian has been at the forefront of training efforts designed to prepare for high-stakes events and mission-critical operations. Calian played an integral role in the preparation and training for major event security for 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2018 G7 summit. Calian has consistently demonstrated the ability to design and execute dynamic, complex, large-scale exercises.
This expertise and track record made Calian the ideal partner for the complex and time-sensitive task of preparing Canada’s Public Safety Government Operations Centre, as well as over 50 other organizations that are instrumental in the 2025 G7 summit operations. Building trust across governmental, provincial, municipal and critical infrastructure sectors, Calian’s efforts supported robust frameworks for interagency coordination, communications and rapid response capabilities.
G7 training program overview
Calian’s 2025 G7 preparation training required quick, efficient execution. It consisted of two exercises, each one tailored to specific aspects of readiness. “The program used a progressive, very condensed, training approach and was comprised of two main, whole-of-government G7 training activities,” says Ballard.
Exercise Olympian Summit I
Building on the groundwork laid in Summit I, this functional exercise occurred in May. With 754 participants from 50 organizations, Summit II added the dimension of real-world operational readiness. This included testing and validating response procedures, command and control processes, and intergovernmental communication strategies.
Simulated scenarios allowed for practical application, enabling organizations to identify potential weaknesses in their plans and protocols in a controlled, low-risk environment. By building trust and meaningful interactions between participants, this training fostered stronger partnerships and improved overall readiness.
Unique value delivered by Calian
“We have deep experience delivering these types of exercises and intergovernmental preparation support,” says Ballard. “Each year we support exercises Vigilant Shield and OP NANOOK, which support DND and government coordination and mitigation. We delivered the bronze, silver and gold series of exercises for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics as well as the 2018 G7 summit.”
Beyond logistics, Calian’s approach emphasizes communication, shared understanding, situational awareness and trust-building among participants. These elements are critical in preparing organizations to coordinate effectively during high-stakes events.
Why public safety training was essential for the G7 summit
Hosting the G7 summit is no small feat. With over 50 organizations involved, each with unique mandates and jurisdictions, seamless coordination was not optional—it was mandatory. The challenges of managing security, logistics and emergency protocols during such a high-profile event require more than theoretical knowledge.
The exercises presented the opportunity to walk through diverse scenarios, ensuring that participants:
• Understand their jurisdictional limits and responsibilities.
• Practice interagency cooperation to avoid gaps or conflicts.
• Validate plans and identify potential improvements without the risk of real-world consequences.
“Exercises Olympian Summit I and II training has helped more than 50 organizations coordinate and smoothly operate during the summit,” says Ballard. “They developed trust by training together and will be better able to handle any issues that come up during the summit.” This preparation enabled participants to approach the G7 summit with confidence, ready to handle challenges ranging from minor logistical adjustments to serious security threats.
Benefits of the G7 readiness training
The training delivered by Calian provided significant benefits that extended far beyond the immediate scope of the G7 summit:
- Enhanced Coordination: The exercises strengthened interagency relationships, fostered trust and improved communication among participants.
- Validated Procedures: By testing response plans in a realistic environment, organizations validated that their strategies were effective and identified areas for improvement.
- Greater Confidence: Participants gained hands-on experience with complex scenarios, equipping them to respond efficiently during the actual event.
The lessons learned during these exercises will influence participants’ daily operations. “The organizations can take what they learned from the training for the summit to update their standard operating procedures,” says Ballard. “The organizations may use what they learned to improve daily domestic operations and coordination, positioning them to approach future challenges with more agility and collaboration .”
Looking ahead
The insights and trust built during Olympian Summit I and II improved participating organizations’ ability to prepare for future scenarios. This is the immediate impact of thoughtful, expertly designed public safety training.
By successfully preparing Canada’s governmental, provincial, municipal and infrastructure teams for the G7 summit, Calian is reaffirming its role as a leader in delivering no-fail, mission-critical exercises. Whether it’s preparing for a high-profile summit or reinforcing everyday public safety operations, Calian has the experience and expertise to deliver when failure is not an option.
For more information on Calian’s security and defence training solutions, visit https://www.calian.com/defence/military-training-simulation/
