Victoria, Hamilton and Ottawa will reportedly submit formal applications to join the NASL as part of an initiative involving aggressive soccer expansion in Canada. The announcement follows planned expansion next year with FC Edmonton beginning play at the start of the 2011 season.

Victoria and Ottawa currently sport PDL teams and are targeting entry into the USSF-2 between 2012 and 2013.

"It's no secret we've contemplated moving up levels," Victoria (B.C.) PDL GM Drew Finerty said Wednesday. "Where we will end up is still to be determined."

Finerty and Victoria's PDL side will host FC Edmonton in a friendly to get a "sense" of whether or not the people of Victoria want professional soccer. The Victoria GM says he hopes to draw at least 2,000 at the game.

In Hamilton, CFL team owner Bob Young will submit a bid for entry ahead of the 2013 season. The city of 500,000 is an hour drive from Toronto and stadium plans are in the works as they relate to the 2015 Pan-Am Games in the Greater Toronto Area.

The likelihood of at least two of the three teams coming in is high meaning an assortment of changes to the Canadian soccer set up will be in store. An expanded Nutrilite Canadian Cup tournament will be among the obvious changes with the possibility of youth academy systems being adopted by each of the new franchises.

Victoria, Hamilton and Ottawa would potentially join Toronto FC, Vancouver and the Montreal Impact, who will be in MLS by 2012. Add in FC Edmonton, who begins play in 2011, and it brings the total to seven professional teams in Canada by 2013.

What is the soccer climate like in Victoria, Hamilton and Ottawa. I want to see teams that will stay around for awhile and be competitive. I am curious to learn more on this topic.

Its great to see that tehy want in on the NASL

hamilton ended up joining the PDL while ottawa went the Canadian Soccer league route.

I have no idea about Victoria.

But what about the mix of US vs Canadian teams ? That may be an issue.....

I think the US/non-US team requirement by USSF is a joke. I would hate to see a league fold due to some senseless requirement like that--especially if MLS is going to add two Canadian teams in two years. Maybe the war cry of "54 40' or fight" was not so bad after all. It certainly would have solved some problems for American D2 soccer.