League1 Canada

League1 Canada (L1C; French: Ligue1 Canada) is a national pro–am soccer organization in Canada. It consists of four regional leagues; League1 Alberta, League1 British Columbia, League1 Ontario, and Ligue1 Québec with each league operating men's and women's divisions. L1C is overseen by Canada Soccer Business, in partnership with participating provincial member federations.

League1 Canada is third tier of the Canadian soccer league system which is the highest level of pro–am soccer in the country. It is below the Canadian Premier League which is the nation's top-tier professional league.

History

In 2011, the Première ligue de soccer du Québec was established to begin play in 2012, marking the return of semi-professional soccer in the province of Quebec. In 2013, League1 Ontario was founded as a semi-professional league by the Ontario Soccer Association to begin play in 2014 with a men's division, followed by a women's division in 2015. After multiple years of consideration, League1 British Columbia began play in 2022 in both the male and female divisions.

On March 31, 2022, League1 Canada was announced as an alliance of the three existing division three pro-am leagues, aligning the national soccer pathway. L1O and L1BC adopted new logos that day, while the PLSQ transitioned to a common logo and rebranded to Ligue1 Québec in 2023. Dino Rossi became the first league president in May 2022.

From August 12 to 14, 2022, the inaugural Women's Inter-Provincial Championship was held in Laval, Quebec. The competition was a four-team knockout tournament featuring the champions of each of the three divisions, as well as an additional team from the PLSQ (allocated as host). A.S. Blainville won the inaugural title. The 2023 tournament was held in British Columbia.

In March 2023, League1 Alberta was announced with a five-team exhibition series to be played that summer. The league plans to officially launch for the 2024 season with a minimum of six teams. In June 2023, League1 Prairies was announced with plans for the league to operate between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The league plans to launch for the 2025 season.

On December 7, 2023, League1 Canada announced it had reached an agreement with the Alberta Soccer Association to add League1 Alberta to its national alliance of Division III Pro-Am leagues. Later that week, Dino Rossi resigned from his role as League1 Canada president.

Provincial competitions

Leagues

The league champion for League1 Ontario and League1 British Columbia is determined through a playoffs tournament, while the league champion for Ligue1 Québec is determined through the season standings.

League cups

Not to be confused with a league's playoff phase.

Other secondary competitions

Inter-provincial competitions

Women

The Women's Inter-Provincial Championship is a four-team knockout tournament organized by League1 Canada. It is contested annually by the four provincial league champions. The tournament is held over a single weekend at the end of the season and determines a national champion. The winner of the 2023 tournament qualified for the 2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup.

Men

The winners of the men's provincial leagues qualify for the following year's Canadian Championship, organized by the Canadian Soccer Association. There are plans for a Men's Inter-Provincial Championship to begin in 2024. From 2014 to 2016, prior to the formation of League1 Canada, the winners of League1 Ontario and the Première ligue de soccer du Québec (now Ligue1 Québec) participated in a similar competition known as the Inter-Provincial Cup.

See also

• Canadian soccer league system
• Inter-Provincial Cup (soccer) – a defunct super cup competition between the Ontario and Quebec champions
• National Premier Leagues – a grouping of Australian regional soccer leagues
• Canadian Hockey League

Notes

References