A joint bid by London and Windsor to host the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championship has made the short list.
The exact number of cities on the short list is not known at this time, but London Mayor Matt Brown says he's optimistic about London and Windsor's chances.
"There will be a number of other cities, but this will be the largest sporting event London has ever hosted and Windsor has ever hosted," he says. "But I think we've demonstrated time and time again that we can do a phenomenal job."
Gordon Orr, chief executive officer of Tourism Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island, says the World Juniors will be the talk of the town — and it's important the team heading to Calgary at the end month make that clear to Hockey Canada in their pitch.
"Believe me, if [the tournament comes to Windsor-London], they're going to know that Windsor-Essex is here to roll out the red carpet, give them that VIP treatment and they're going to own this town for that period of time," says Orr.
Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island CEO Gordon Orr speaks at a tourism week event in downtown Windsor, June 2, 2015. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)
In terms of size and scope of events Windsor has hosted, "this is it" according to Orr.
"There will be be banners, there will be announcements, there will be a feeling and vibe in the city," says Orr. "I think any time you go to a big, metropolitan city that's kind of lost because there are so many other things going on."
Brown thinks the joint nature of the bid improves the odds of the two cities securing the tournament.
"We'll certainly be putting our best foot forward," he says. "To be partnering up with Windsor in this way, it just makes our argument stronger."
Brown expects that the winning bid will be announced before the end of 2016.
Orr isn't sure if this is the last pitch organizers will get to make.
"We're not sure if we would be shortlisted further or if Hockey Canada would have any questions, but certainly we know where we are today — and we're today further than we were yesterday," says Orr.
If the bid is successful, London will be contributing $600,000 of taxpayer money to cover the costs, while Windsor will put forth an additional $400,000. The sporting event would bring the top ten Under 20 hockey teams in the world to southwestern Ontario to compete in 31 games over 11-days from December 26, 2018 to January 5, 2019.
The cities would host the sporting event at London's Budweiser Gardens and Windsor's WFCU Centre.
— This article was written by Kirk Dickinson and Ricardo Veneza, with files from Miranda Chant and Maureen Revait.