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Canada's return to the World Rally Championship could be fast-tracked in an effort to find FIA rally director Yves Matton's medium-term solution to the series' winter rally headache.

Matton told Autosport last month that he favoured two winter rallies on the WRC calendar and a Canadian event is seen as part of that solution.

A mild Rally Sweden (pictured above) put the issue of finding a cold, snow-sure event back on the sport's agenda and an Ottawa-based February rally could be that event.

The Canadians stated at the outset that a WRC return would be a five-year plan, culminating in a WRC slot for 2023.

The event last ran in 1979, won by Bjorn Waldegard in a Ford Escort Mk2.

WRC Promoter has encouraged them to rethink that timescale.

Founding Rally Promoter Association of Canada director Keith Morison told Autosport: "We had a meeting with WRC Promoter at last year's Rally GB and there was a tap on the shoulder to say we might consider bringing our plans forward.

"We're looking at that.

"There's a feeling a five-year plan could fade, but we won't be rushed.

"We're working on the funding right now and it's going to take time - running a WRC round is 10 times the cost of organising the Canadian Rally Championship.

"What's vital is that we do this thing right.

" Morison revealed further details of the RPAC plan, which centres on an event based out of the capital, Ottawa, and includes two days of competition in Quebec and one day in Ontario - with a service park based in Ontario.

A proposed event will run some time from late February into early March, but Morison wouldn't be drawn on predicting conditions.

"We have a three-week window for the weather where snow is pretty much guaranteed," said Morison.

"But if you want somebody to guarantee you perfect conditions - I'm not that kind of guy.

"We've had some years when it's been warmer than others, but right now I'm looking out on my deck with 30cm of snow and we've seen five-foot snowbanks [this year]."

The event, which could run as a candidate the year after next, will include some of the roads used on Rallye Perce-Neige, the opening round of the Canadian series.