{"id":861588,"date":"2025-07-10T22:12:06","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T03:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/10\/white-hats-naked-protestors-and-sweaty-leaders-in-the-gym-headlines-from-the-2002-g8-summit-in-kananaskis\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T22:12:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T03:12:06","slug":"white-hats-naked-protestors-and-sweaty-leaders-in-the-gym-headlines-from-the-2002-g8-summit-in-kananaskis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/10\/white-hats-naked-protestors-and-sweaty-leaders-in-the-gym-headlines-from-the-2002-g8-summit-in-kananaskis\/","title":{"rendered":"White hats, naked protestors and sweaty leaders in the gym: Headlines from the 2002 G8 summit in Kananaskis"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As Alberta gears up to host leaders from some of the world’s most powerful nations at the upcoming G7 summit, we’re looking back at the most newsworthy headlines from the last time\u00a0the high-profile event was held in Kananaskis, 23 years ago.<\/p>\n

Former prime minister\u00a0Jean Chr\u00e9tien\u00a0met with world leaders at the 2002 G8 summit, when the group still included Russia. The leaders met to discuss a variety of topics, including the central agenda item of African aid, while also squeezing in beers, golf and souvenir shopping.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Group<\/p>

World leaders attending in 2002 from left to right: Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, U.S. president George W. Bush, French president Jacques Chirac, Canadian prime minister Jean Chr\u00e9tien, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British prime minister Tony Blair, Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar and European Commission president Romano Prodi. (Jonathan Hayward\/DFAIT\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Despite the recent\u00a0Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S. looming over the event,\u00a0and the recent memory of out-of-control protests at the summit in Italy a year prior, Canada managed to deliver a safe and secluded event in the mountains, said John Kirton, director of the G7 research group at the University of Toronto.<\/p>\n

The move away from metropolitan host cities marked a return to what the meeting between the leading industrial nations was originally intended to be: a “fireside chat” between world leaders.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"U.S.<\/p>

U.S. president George W. Bush and Canadian prime minister Jean Chr\u00e9tien shake hands at the opening meeting of the G8 Summit. (Larry Downing\/Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

“At the worst possible times, when the United States was really at its most vulnerable\u2026 Jean Chr\u00e9tien and Canada’s Kananaskis summit delivered,” said Kirton.<\/p>\n

“Yes for security, yes against terrorism, but [also] for Africa and the Global South, and for Canadians and its economic agenda and in advancing the Canadian concern for protecting the world’s natural environment all at the same time, and [Canada] proved it could all be done in complete peace.”<\/p>\n

Kirton described it as “a\u00a0mark for subsequent summits to meet.”<\/p>\n

Calgary white hats world leaders<\/h2>\n

Upon arrival in Calgary, then-mayor Dave Bronconnier greeted the world leaders with a white Smithbilt hat, a tradition symbolizing\u00a0the city’s hospitality.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Clipping<\/p>

Clipping from the Ottawa Citizen, originally published on June 27, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

U.S. president George W. Bush donned his cowboy hat for a quick moment and then held it to his heart. The Ottawa Citizen reported him saying to Bronconnier, “You don’t look old enough to be a mayor.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"U.S.<\/p>

Bush puts on a cowboy hat presented to him by then-mayor of Calgary Dave Bronconnier on June 25, 2002. (Arnd Wiegmann\/Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

According to the Globe and Mail<\/u><\/a>‘s reporting, French president Jacques Chirac\u00a0refused to put on his hat.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Russian<\/p>

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks at a souvenir cowboy hat after arriving at Calgary’s airport for the start of the 2002 G8 summit. (Andre Forget\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin also shied away from modelling his gift, but did show curiosity, inspecting it closer.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Japanese<\/p>

Then-Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi pretends to ride a horse after receiving his honourary white hat upon his arrival at Calgary International Airport. (Kim Stallknecht\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The Globe and Mail also reported few leaders did the ceremonial “yahoo” cheer after receiving their white hat.<\/p>\n

All eyes on Canada<\/h2>\n

A Calgary Herald story from April 24, 2002 teed up how the G8 summit looked to change the world’s perception of Canada with a “high-tech” showcase of non-stereotypical Canadiana in the form of a CD-ROM to be given to international delegates and journalists.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Calgary<\/p>

A clipping from the Calgary Herald, originally published on April 24, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

“Before they arrive, they’ll be thinking of beavers, igloos, red-coated police on horseback and toothless hockey goons,” wrote Kerry Williamson of the Herald.<\/p>\n

“When they leave, they’ll be reading Mordecai Richler and Will Ferguson, admiring Robert Bateman’s paintings, talking of teepees and listening to David Foster’s music.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"U.S.<\/p>

U.S. President George W. Bush reviews the Governor General’s Footguards. (Arnd Wiegmann\/Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Besides the nation’s ambitions for recrafting its image to the world, the very presence of the U.S. president at the summit conveyed a sign of trust in Canada, said Kirton, as there were doubts about whether Bush would make the trip\u00a0after the events of 9\/11.<\/p>\n

At the Delta Lodge in Kananaskis, chef Jeff O’Neill served up a regional cuisine with food that was “uniquely Canadian,” he told the Calgary Herald.<\/p>\n

“He says it is safest to stay true to what he’s best at and he is making sure to steer clear of anything like Borscht for Russian dignitaries,” wrote the paper’s Maureen DePatie.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Calgary<\/p>

A Calgary Herald clipping originally published on June 24, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Later, the Herald confirmed leaders and delegates dined on smoked Bow River trout, Yukon Gold potato and charbroiled High Plains buffalo tenderloin during their stay.<\/p>\n

Clashing agendas, busy leaders<\/h2>\n

During the two-day summit, leaders stayed busy with a packed agenda tackling issues of nuclear disarmament, the Middle East, terrorism\u00a0and, most centrally, African aid.<\/p>\n

With al-Qaeda and other terror threats top of mind, Bush insisted that security be a more prominent subject on the docket, while Chr\u00e9tien was committed to the agenda that was set at the last summit in Italy, which centred on\u00a0African issues.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"The<\/p>

The Sun Times in Owen Sound, Ontario, originally published on June 26, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Edmonton<\/p>

Edmonton Journal, originally published on June 28, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

“Mr. Chr\u00e9tien said yesterday that he would not let the Middle East discussion sideline his plan for a full-day discussion on Africa tomorrow,” the Globe and Mail reported at the time.<\/p>\n

Bush and Putin had some similar interests according to their profiles in the Ottawa Citizen. Russia seemed in agreement with the U.S. to push for discussions on terrorism in Kananaskis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"A<\/p>

A clipping from the Ottawa Citizen, originally published on June 25, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Four African leaders \u2013 Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria \u2014 as well as UN secretary general Kofi Annan joined the G8 heads, participating in a joint meeting on the Africa Action Plan.<\/p>\n

The leaders would eventually sign what Chr\u00e9tien called a “landmark document for Africa,”\u00a0focused on reducing African nations’ debt, helping to end regional wars, opening western markets and supporting education.<\/p>\n

The leaders’ launch of the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction was another major takeaway from the summit. The partnership made a $20 billion US commitment to dismantle aging nuclear weapons in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union.<\/p>\n

WATCH | CBC News coverage of the 2002 G8 Summit:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

\n

2002 G8 Summit devises ‘landmark document for Africa’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Vladimir Putin agreed to let inspectors from his old Cold War rivals \u2013 the other G7 countries \u2013 enter Russia’s most secret nuclear facilities, chemical weapons, biological, radiological ones, to inspect them to see what was there and then to dismantle them so they could not be used,” said Kirton.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"Canadian<\/p>

Canada’s former prime minister Jean Chretien and former French president Jacques Chirac enjoy a beer during a bilateral meeting in Kananaskis June 25, 2002. (Jim Young\/Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Squeezing many discussions into the two-day summit, Chr\u00e9tien explained to reporters how busy the leaders were keeping.<\/p>\n

“You all watch me having a beer with [Jacques] Chirac in front of the hotel for 10 minutes,” Chr\u00e9tien told reporters. “And I didn’t have the time to finish the beer.”<\/p>\n

World leaders after hours<\/h2>\n

While leaders were mostly occupied with business during their short foray into K-country, news stories show their agenda wasn’t all business.<\/p>\n

The Calgary Herald reported Chr\u00e9tien snuck in four holes of golf just hours before the first official G8 meeting got underway. The word was he hit a birdie on the par-4 third hole, wrote Williamson.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Chirac<\/p>

Chirac speaks during a press conference at the end of the G8 Summit. (Jeff Vinnick\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Chirac was reportedly drawn to buying several souvenir Canada T-shirts, and “in one store purchased a child’s sweater with a moose embroidered on the front \u2013 worth $23 \u2013 and a Kananaskis golf cap.”<\/p>\n

Putin also left with a piece of Canada: a large $150 dreamcatcher made near Vancouver.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"A<\/p>

A headline from the Ottawa Citizen, originally published on June 27, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Bush and U.K. prime minister Tony Blair “shared 20 sweaty minutes at the gym in what aides dubbed the first ever ‘aerobic bilat,'” wrote Reuters.<\/p>\n

After walking in on Blair’s workout, Bush remarked on his “impressive regime.” Blair said Bush “looked in pretty good shape” himself.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"British<\/p>

Former British prime minister Tony Blair, left, and former U.S. president George W. Bush smile during a bilateral meeting. (Luke Frazza\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Naked protests and muddy demonstrations<\/h2>\n

While world leaders received white hats\u00a0on the eve of the summit, earlier that same morning, protesters were baring it all outside a Gap store on Stephen Avenue to protest the company’s exploitation of workers.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"The<\/p>

The Ottawa Citizen, originally published on June 26, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The 2002 G8 summit ushered in a more peaceful protesting format, said Kirton. The previous summit in Italy was marked by clashes between police and protesters that resulted in a demonstrator being shot and killed by police.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"G8<\/p>

G8 protesters covered in mud take part in an mud dance in the downtown streets of Calgary during an anti-globalization demonstration on June 27, 2002. (Jeff Vinnick\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"Grant<\/p>

Grant Neufeld, second from the left, founder of the Revolutionary Knitting Circle, knits with other demonstrators as part of a protest against the G8 summit. Some 50 people attended the global knit-in, to show that protests can be peaceful. (Don MacKinnon\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Designated protest areas in Calgary contained much of the demonstrations, which included anti-globalization protests in the form of more traditional marches, as well as the more unique mud dance and knit-in demonstrations.<\/p>\n

“Defence in depth,” is how Kirton remembered it.<\/p>\n

“Yes, you did have to have heavy police, right? They looked like imperial stormtroopers\u2026 with their masks and their clubs and their shields. But they were kept hidden inside nearby buildings,” he said.<\/p>\n

WATCH | Protests at the 2002 G8 summit:<\/strong><\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Protesters at the Kananaskis G8<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

“On the front lines, they put local Calgary police officers. They were on bikes\u2026 not in tanks or police cars.”<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Kirton said, the relatively peaceful 2002 G8 in Kananaskis “certainly put Canada on the world stage, in a way \u2013 more centrally, more prominently \u2013 than it had ever done before.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"A<\/p>

A clipping from the Edmonton Journal, originally published on June 29, 2002. (newspapers.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Alberta gears up to host leaders from some of the world’s most powerful nations at the upcoming G7 summit, we’re looking back at the most newsworthy headlines from the last time\u00a0the high-profile event was held in Kananaskis, 23 years ago. Former prime minister\u00a0Jean Chr\u00e9tien\u00a0met with world leaders at the 2002 G8 summit, when the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":861589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36251,9],"tags":[145204,5064],"class_list":{"0":"post-861588","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-naked","8":"category-white","9":"tag-naked","10":"tag-white"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=861588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861588\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/861589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=861588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=861588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=861588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}