The trip has the aim of enticing big oil producers to ship their product to the Port City, and is being financed by the travel budget of the mayor's office.
Energy Minister Craig Leonard and Port representatives will also be attending the meetings, which will include a stop at the Calgary-based Irving Oil office. Norton says he and the province have informed Irving of their plans and consulted with them about which producers they should meet.
Norton says we are currently in the midst of so-called open season, the period when oil producers look to fill the pipelines that could ultimately make their way to Saint John.
That period typically lasts 60 days from mid-April to mid June; as a result, Norton says he hopes to forge some connections, and secure some commitments in short order.
At the end of May the Mayor will travel to Ottawa with MP Rodney Weston to meet with federal politicians who might support bringing the West-East oil pipeline to Saint John. At the same time, they plan to consult with bureaucrats from P3 Canada to get a sense of the progress on the city's application for water funding.
