'Open-minded and open-hearted': Victoria mayor to tour Alberta oilsands

Calling herself "open-minded and open-hearted," the mayor of Victoriahas accepted an invitation from a Calgary city councillor to visit Alberta's oilsands this spring.

Lisa Helps accepted the invitation from Coun. Ward Sutherland to take a first-hand look in Aprilatwhat he calls ethicalenergy production in the province.

"One of the things I hear a lot about is the sustainable energy practices that are in place, so I'm curious to learn about that," Helps told The Calgary Homestretch.

"I'm curious to learn about what other initiatives the energy industry in Alberta is taking beyond the extraction of fossil fuels. I know Cenovus Energy and others are doing lots of research and development into sustainable energy alternatives, so I'd like to learn about that."

The move comes after months of growing tension between B.C. and Alberta over pipelines and the environment.

Helps says she hasn't yet discussed the trip with her council colleaguesbut was "delighted" to accept.

"I'm a very open-minded person and I think that on complex issues like this, having a wider perspective is really important, certainly better than throwing barbs back and forth across the country," she said.

"I am open-minded and open-hearted to hear what they think I need to hear about."

In December, Helps penned letters to 19 of the world's largest oil and gas companies asking them to chip in to cover growing bills in proportion to their emissions.

That was based on a 2015 reportsaying storm surges, combined with a one-metre rise in sea level which is projected by the year 2100 could result in business disruption losses of $415,557 per day in Victoria.

Asked about her position on the Trans Mountain pipeline, Helps says she is "categorically, absolutely opposed" to its expansion.

"This isn't popular and it's very difficult. One of the things I really do feel for is the potential job losses that come with leaving that oil in the ground," she said.

"I had a conversation with the Canadian federal minister of the environment to talk about, what does a just transition look like? How can the federal government start making those investments now to make sure that not one person loses a job in the long-term as we move to renewable energy.

"I worry about job losses in Alberta, I worry about job losses in Victoria if a hundred years from now our entire inner harbour or downtown is under water."

Helps was also asked whether she feels conflicted about Victoria'scruise ship industry, which uses the city's harbour.

In response, Helps saidVictoria has"the cleanest port anywhere in North America."

"We've got the highest standards for buses that are going in and out of the cruise ship terminal," she said.

"They're exploring shore power so cruise ships will potentially need to plug in. All of the buses coming out of the cruise ship terminal will be electric by 2022.

"Does the industry itself need to reform and come up with climate leadership and climate action? Absolutely they do, and so, too, does the airline industry, and that's a really really big and important question that all places in the world that attract tourists, including Calgary and Edmonton and others, are going to need to deal with. How do airlines and how do cruise lines reduce their carbon pollution?"