Hours after Toronto's bid for the 2015 World Expo was left for dead, the mayor believes he may have breathed some life back into it.

Mayor David Miller made a series of phone calls to federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on Tuesday evening to request a meeting.

All three have agreed to a meeting to discuss Toronto's bid over the next few days.

A city spokesperson said no exact date has been set, but the federal and provincial governments' willingness to meet has generated some optimism.

"With all three on board and all three willing to commit to this by the end of this week, that's very encouraging," said Stuart Green, a spokesman for Miller.

Toronto's bid must be submitted on Nov. 3 to the Paris-based International Bureau of Expositions.

The agency responsible for sanctioning world fairs requires bid countries to pick up any deficits caused by an exposition.

Neither Ottawa nor Queen's Park has stepped up to the plate to sign a required debt guarantee.

The federal government cites a 1995 law stating that provinces must take financial responsibility for major events such as expositions and Olympics.

The provincial government says Ottawa should be the financial backstop for the bid because the federal government has "significant surpluses."