Victoria and Vancouver are putting together a joint bid for the 2019 world junior hockey championship.

“We are partnering with the City of Victoria, City of Vancouver and Sport Hosting Vancouver,” said Hugh MacDonald, executive director of Sport Host Victoria.

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Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and Tourism Victoria CEO Paul Nursey have provided letters of support, he said.

Canada was awarded the 2019 championship by the International Ice Hockey Federation.

The deadline for cities to bid is Aug. 31. Hockey Canada will announce the winner on Dec. 1.

“Edmonton will be our biggest competitor,” Macdonald said.

The Ontario cities of London and Windsor have also indicated plans to submit a joint bid.

The B.C. bid would see preliminary pool games played at Victoria’s Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre and at Vancouver venues, with the semifinals and final in Vancouver, likely at Pacific Coliseum or Rogers Arena.

The tournament begins on Boxing Day 2018.

“We are working on getting the information together and support required,” MacDonald said.

“This is a great opportunity for us and we are excited by it. We are even pushing for Victoria to host the Canadian team pre-tournament training camp.”

But all this won’t come cheap, even if the rewards could be great.

MacDonald said he expects Hockey Canada will want a guarantee “of between $5 million to $10 million” to host the event.

The money would be Hockey Canada’s share of revenue from such things as tickets, broadcast rights and merchandise.

Cam Hope, general manager of the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League, said it’s an opportunity worth pursuing.

“Victoria is the perfect community for something like this,” Hope said.

“Vancouver needed a secondary site and asked us to join in the bid, and we expressed interest.”

The 2017 world junior hockey championship, hosted by Montreal and Toronto, begins Dec. 26. The 2018 tournament is in Buffalo, New York.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com