A motion for a potential bid to step-in and replace Durban was launched by Councillor James Pasternak.

Tory, Mayor when the city hosted the Pan American Games in 2015, did not come out either in support or in opposition of the idea.

He warned, though, it would be much more than a simple commitment.

"This is not as simple as saying 'We have all the right facilities so let's do it'," Tory said.

"It is a time-consuming, complex undertaking requiring years of preparation and unknown expense. 

"I believe any move to proceed with a bid on these Games will require great convincing."

Durban was stripped of the event earlier this month by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) following a lack of progress since they were awarded hosting rights in September 2015.

Tory outlined that a chain of procedures, including a special advisory panel, have been introduced in order to ensure adequate checks before bidding for major sporting events. 

"These formal policies have been put in place [to] ensure any future bids on major events are managed and evaluated to avoid a situation where the city rushes into hosting an event that ends up being too costly, or the city misses out on an opportunity to host a significant event because it was unprepared for the bidding process," he said.

Pasternak, hoping that the bid will use existing facilities from the Pan American Games, plans to begin this process through the motion. 

Tory also sat on the fence before ultimately opposing a possible Toronto bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A host of cities in Australia and England have already expressed interest in replacing Durban for 2022. 

This includes London, Birmingham, Liverpool and 2002 hosts Manchester in England.

Melbourne, host of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, has joined Perth, Sydney and Adelaide in considering bidding for what would be a second successive Australian event after next year's edition in Gold Coast.

Edmonton, the initial challenger to Durban in the 2022 race, is the only other Canadian city to have so far been linked with a possible bid.

The city had pulled out in February 2015, seven months before the vote, due to the falling oil prices which had affected its economy.

Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur has also been named in connection with a potential attempt.

A firm timeline to choose a replacement for Durban has yet been established by the CGF.