Crowd flows, camera coverage being studied to bolster Parliament Hill security
OTTAWA — Security officials say they’re ready for the throngs set to descend on Parliament Hill for Canada’s 150th birthday celebration Saturday.
But that doesn’t mean federal researchers are done thinking about how to better protect the country’s seat of democracy in the months and years ahead.
Advisers are gathering data on everything from crowd flows to video-camera placement to ensure both security and openness in the parliamentary precinct.
Parliament Hill security is a “tough nut to crack” because of the fine balance between guarding the most important democratic institutions while keeping the grounds open to people, said Rami Youssef of the federal Centre for Security Science, a wing of Defence Research and Development Canada.