About 3,000 protesters gathered in Ottawa on Sunday, a day before the start of a two-day summit of North American leaders at a resort in nearby Montebello, Que.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and U.S. President George W. Bush for the third annual Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) summit, starting Monday.
Security cameras surround the inner grounds of the resort where North American leaders will meet, starting Monday.
(Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)
Protesters say they oppose any effort by the leaders to expand trade among their countries, alleging it would exploit workers.
The Council of Canadians, which helped bring some of the protesters to Parliament Hill, said the partnership shouldn't be allowed to hammer out policies affecting labour without public or parliamentary scrutiny.
Opponents say they're being excluded from the talks, while about 30 CEOs from the three countries will be sitting down with the leaders in Montebello to discuss ways to promote their agendas.
Government officials say the leaders will be talking about such issues as cross-border trade, the growing security regulations affecting that trade and the safety of Chinese products entering North America.
The leaders are expected to end the summit with a call for a new cross-border protocol that will outline who and what would be allowed to move across North American borders during crises, the Canadian Press reported. They are also expected to announce that they will recognize the research of each country's food and drug regime in an effort to reduce costs and avoid duplication, CP reported.
"There aren't great pressing issues," said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. "It looks like they're going to come up with an agreement, a statement on how to handle a pandemic like avian flu that might strike North America, and how to handle environmental or health emergencies."
He said the leaders were also expected to talk about attacking crime, including the narcotics trade, immigration issues, passport regulations and agriculture.
PM spending more time with Mexican leader
"I wouldn't be surprised if George Bush and Harper, who are only meeting one-on-one for about an hour and 15 minutes tomorrow, discuss such things as what's going on in Afghanistan," Wiseman told CBC Newsworld on Sunday.
He said despite the small amount of trade Canada has with Mexico compared with what it has with the U.S., Harper spent the entire weekend with Calderon and his family.
"They're also having a one-on-one meeting on Wednesday morning after the summit is over, so Calderon is in the country for the better part of a week."
Wiseman said the two leaders have common issues "relating to this giant between them, the United States, and I can see them discussing the issue of labour."
Canada is facing a labour crunch in places like oil-rich Alberta, while Mexico has labour to spare.
Town prepares for larger protest
Montebello is normally a quiet town, but hundreds of federal and provincial police officers have been deployed for security duty. They have transformed a nearby high school into a command centre.
Ambulances and medical staff are on standby and police have set up a temporary detention centre.
Security cameras, motion detectors and a three-metre-high security fence surround the grounds of the Fairmont Château Montebello, where the talks will take place.
Despite the heavy police presence and tight security, those against the trilateral talks say they expect thousands of protesters to show up in Montebello on Monday, news that has many people in the town on edge.
Guy Joanis has boarded up the windows and front door to his bar — at the urging of police.
"It's completely barricaded and will stay closed for four days," he said. "But I don't think I should have to pay for that."
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