| Paul Martin | ||||||
Paul Martin, Canada's finance minister and chairman of the G-20, won his bet that he could safely host simultaneous meetings of G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors, the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the IMF and the World Bank's development committee in Ottawa.
There were at any time a 100 or more riot police visible between the Edwardian Fairmont Chateau Laurier, built by a hotel magnate who drowned in the Titanic, and a government conference centre that was formerly Ottawa's central rail terminal. There were government snipers peeking from its rooftop.
Ultimately little happened outside. A water cannon was fired. A reporter was bit in the leg by a police dog. A few dozen arrests were made.
Martin sought to make his case that the machinery of international financial institutions was working once more.