G20 in Toronto brings the world to our City
Message to residents from the federal government and the City of Toronto
The federal government has confirmed that Canada will host the G20 Summit on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27, 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
The Media Centre for the event will be at Exhibition Place’s Direct Energy Centre (thousands of international, national and local media will be present to cover the meeting).
Toronto was chosen to host the G20 Summit as we are able to successfully host large events and have all of the required venues, transportation networks and attractions to host successful meetings and conventions and give visitors a unique experience.
Hosting the meeting in Toronto will have a positive impact on the city as we show the world all that Toronto has to offer by way of tourism, business and banking, culture and diversity. The meeting also gives the City of Toronto an opportunity to showcase its widely-recognized environmental leadership as it works with residents and businesses to achieve their environmental objectives. The Summit also provides the City with a unique opportunity to maintain and develop new international business relationships.
The G20 was established in 1999 in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial crisis. With the recent world economic crisis, leaders from the G20 countries are now meeting on a regular basis to discuss key issues in the global economy. The G20 is the premier forum for international economic development that promotes open and constructive discussion between industrial and emerging-market countries on key issues related to global economic stability.
The Summit’s Management Office (SMO), part of Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, is responsible for all the logistical arrangements of the Summit. This office also ensures that the Summit is run in an environmentally sensitive and green manner.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) takes the lead role for security matters in major events such as the G20 to provide protective services to Internationally Protected Persons (IPPs), foreign dignitaries, and delegates while in Canada.
The Toronto Police Service is a full partner in the security for the G20 along with the Peel Regional Police and other security and public safety agencies. All safety and security agencies are key partners in the RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit (ISU), which was established to ensure the safety and security of both the G8 and G20 Summits. G8 nations will meet in Huntsville on June 25 and 26.
The City of Toronto, the ISU and the SMO are committed to open, honest and transparent communication with the community and those persons, residences and businesses that may be affected by the Summit. The ISU, SMO and the City of Toronto will provide up to date information in a variety of ways on traffic, security, and other matters that may affect these groups.
The police services will clearly identify areas and zones that will be affected by road restrictions as the date of the summit nears. No restrictions will apply to emergency vehicles, essential services and those with proper accreditation.
If you don’t have to be in the areas affected by the security zones you can avoid delays by taking alternate routes or making alternative plans wherever possible. The City will work with federal and police partners to communicate the traffic plan and areas where delays can be expected. Residents are asked to get up-to-date information if they must drive or walk through affected areas.
In an effort to establish open and transparent communication, the police services are creating a community outreach group that will work with the SMO community outreach group and the ISU. The Community Relations Group may be contacted at 1-888-446-4047 or by e-mail at crg-grc@g8-g20isu.ca
The G20 Summit logo at the top of this article was designed specially for this event and features the CN Tower. The triangles of the tower represent paths converging toward a shared goal and at the end of this path a circle represents the meeting of the G20. The various sizes and number of diamonds in the logo represent the cultural attributes that make Toronto one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities.
g8-g20isu.ca
< Previous Vol. 3 · Issue 1 · Spring 2010 · Page 41 Next > |
