George W. Bush isn’t the only U.S. president headed for Canada. His fictional counterpart Jed Bartlet is also coming north and he’s bringing the cast and crew of NBC’s The West Wing with him for a two-episode, 12-day shoot in southern Ontario, Playback has learned.

The NBC political drama will shoot in Dundas, a small town outside Hamilton, Dec 4-16, according to union sources who closed the deal earlier this month. The show, produced by Warner Bros. Television and John Wells Productions, has opened production offices in Toronto. The shoot will also make use of the airport in Hamilton.

It is not clear why the long-running series has left its usual locations in California and New England, although there are rumors that the move was prompted by star Martin Sheen, an outspoken Democrat, to protest the re-election of George W. Bush. It is not yet known if Sheen himself will be on set.

The rural location will also qualify the shoot for several tax credits and is within reach of a studio, in nearby Klienberg, that has one of the few and more authentic Oval Office sets in North America. The West Wing’s producers were not available for comment.

The deal took shape during a recent goodwill trip to L.A. by Canuck unions, including ACTRA, IATSE, the Directors Guild of Canada and NABET.

Bush is expected to make his first state visit to Canada sometime in the coming month.