Mayors and councillors from across Northern B.C. will have a chance to tour the oilsands during a convention in Dawson Creek this May.

As part of the upcoming North Central Local Government Association (NCLGA) annual general meeting in the Mile Zero City, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers is chartering a plane to whisk delegates from Dawson Creek to Fort McMurray, where they'll have a chance to grill companies with projects impacting Northern B.C.

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The towns lie 560 kilometres apart, as the crow flies.

"They'll be flying people literally from the front doors of the Encana Events Centre to the oilsands, where they'll land and do a tour," said Oliver Ray, NCLGA executive director. "Then they'll fly them back to the doors of the Encana Events Centre.

"Well, they're not landing at the doors of the Encana Events Centre," he corrected himself.

"It's not a big sell on 'rah-rah go oilsands,'" he added. "It's an information-gathering tour. Obviously people feel very differently about these projects. It's an opportunity for people to ask those tough questions and give their feedback to any industry players that are involved."

The NCLGA represents local governments from 100 Mile House to the Yukon border, many of which would be directly impacted by heavy oil export schemes like Enbridge's Northern Gateway.

"It hits 80 per cent of the communities within the NCLGA's membership," Ray said of the pipeline.

While that project is on life support—its National Energy Board permit will expire in June if substantial construction does not begin—the oilsands will continue to have direct impacts on Northern B.C., organizers say.

Dawson Creek Coun. Shaely Wilbur, who is organizing the conference alongside Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, Pouce Coupe and the regional district, said she has plenty of questions for oil producers.

"I think it's important to be in-the-know, given how close we are in Dawson Creek," she said, adding Premier Christy Clark has set five conditions for heavy oil exports through B.C. "We definitely understand natural gas better than we do oil production in our particular neck of the woods."

Also on the agenda is an "energy tour" of the Peace Region, including the Bear Mountain Wind Park, Dawson Creek's reclaimed water facility and the Site C dam.

The dam has its own ties to the oilsands. Some have floated the idea of selling power from the BC Hydro grid to Alberta, as electricity demand in B.C. flatlines amid downturns in the natural resource sector. Alberta, however, has said it won't be buying B.C. power unless the province removes barriers to pipelines.

The NCLGA votes on policy proposals from member cities and towns, some of which become lobbying priorities of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Among the more controversial at this year's conference: a proposal from Williams Lake to require GPS monitoring of sexual offenders.

Ray added that for the first time, every First Nation in Northern B.C. has been invited to attend the meeting. He noted the region is home to 60 per cent of the province's aboriginal population.

The conference will be held in Dawson Creek from May 4-6.

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