CBC Archives

You must sign in to leave a comment on this clip.

Canada hosts its first G7 economic summit

Broadcast Date: July 19, 1981

On July 19, 1981, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau plays host to his fellow Group of Seven leaders who are in Canada for the 7th economic summit – the first in this country. As seen in this TV report, German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt is the first to arrive via helicopter, followed by Britain's Margaret Thatcher, American President Ronald Reagan, French leader François Mitterrand, Italian President Giovanni Spadolini and Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki Zenko.

Over the next two days, all eyes will be on Chateau Montebello as the seven most powerful world leaders hold talks on topics effecting unemployment, interest rates and aid for less developed nations.

Canada hosts its first G7 economic summit

• Following the 1973 oil crisis and the ensuing world recession, French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing invited leaders of the six major industrialized democracies to a meeting in Rambouillet for an economic conference. Following the success of that initial summit in 1975, the six leaders agreed to meet regularly under a rotating presidency. That marked the beginning of the Group of Six (G6).
• The original Group of Six (G6) included France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

• In 1976, Canada joined the group, making it the Group of Seven (G7).
• Russia became part of the elite group in 1997, marking the creation of Group of Eight (G8). The European Union is also represented in the G8 but as an observer and cannot chair or host a summit.
• The Group of Eight (G8) countries represent about 65 per cent of the world economy.

• The location of the conference rotates annually among the member countries in the following order: France, United States of America, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada.
• Subsequent G7/G8 summits Canada has hosted were in Toronto (1988), Halifax (1995) and Kananaskis, Alta., (2002).

• In more recent years, the annual summits have become the focus of anti-globalization protests. The police crackdown against protesters was particularly harsh during the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa. It led to the death of a 23-year-old protester, Carlo Giuliani.
• Protesters accuse the G8 nations of being responsible for some of the world's most pressing problems including poverty, global warming and the debt crisis of developing nations.

• In 2005, British rocker Bob Geldof organized Live 8, a series of global awareness concerts held between on July 2 and July 6 in 2005, to encourage G8 leaders to eliminate global poverty. The "Make Poverty History" campaign called on the G8 nations to work towards trade justice, dropping the debt and more and "better" aid.

Also on July 19:
• 1940: The House of Commons passes the Unemployment Insurance Act.
• 1996: Céline Dion performs at the opening ceremonies of the Atlanta Olympics (XXVI Olympiad), singing "The Power of the Dream,” commissioned for the occasion.
• 1997: More than 150 fishing boats surround the Alaskan ferry "Malaspina" and refuse to let it leave Prince Rupert, B.C. to protest alleged over fishing of Canadian-bound salmon by Alaskan fishermen. The blockade lasts three days.

Canada hosts its first G7 economic summit

Medium: Television

Program: The National

Broadcast Date: July 19, 1981

Host: Knowlton Nash
Reporter: Brian Stewart

Duration: 3:23

Last updated:
May 2, 2007