Vancouver, Calgary first teams announced in new women's pro soccer league
VANCOUVER -
A new professional women’s soccer league is coming to Canada.
The Vancouver Whitecaps announced Monday that the club will be home to one of two founding teams when the eight-team league begins in 2025. The other founding team belongs to Calgary Foothills Soccer Club.
Homes for the six other teams are expected to be named in 2023.
The league will operate countrywide across two conferences, with four teams in each conference.
In a Twitter post on Monday evening, Foothills WFC said, “We’re thrilled to announce that Calgary Foothills Soccer Club will join the first Canadian Women's Professional League in 2025.”
Diana Matheson, a former member of the Canadian women’s national soccer team, and her business partner Thomas Gilbert are launching the league under the banner of Project 8 Sports Inc.
“We are thrilled to announce that the development of a Canadian professional women’s soccer league is well underway,” Matheson, CEO of Project 8, said in a statement.
“Much work has gone on behind the scenes to get to today."
Project 8 said in a release that the league will be led “primarily by former national team players,” with gold medallists Christine Sinclair and Stephanie Labbe “contributing to the planning and development of the league.”
“The creation of this league is something we have been advocating for over many years, and to be part of seeing it come to fruition is truly exciting,” said Labbe, the Whitecaps’ general manager of women’s soccer.
“We look forward to working with stakeholders across the Canadian soccer environment to make this league successful.”
It's important that women are building the league, said Sinclair.
"We are committed to developing something that is built differently, for women by women,” she said.
"We want to change the soccer landscape in Canada so women’s players can develop and play professionally here at home instead of having to go abroad, as every one of our national team players must do now to be successful.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Beyonce becomes most decorated artist in Grammys history; Harry Styles wins album of the year
Harry Styles won album of the year at Sunday's Grammy Awards, taking home the top honour on a night that Beyoncé dominated and became the ceremony's most decorated artist. Beyonce won her 32nd award, breaking a 26-year-old record. But as in years past, the album of the year honour eluded her.
First tank sent by Canada for Ukrainian forces arrives in Poland
The first of the Leopard 2 tanks Canada is donating to Ukrainian forces has arrived in Poland.
Advocates come together to help sailors stuck for months on tugboats in Quebec port
Groups that advocate for seafarers are expressing concern for 11 sailors who are spending a harsh Quebec winter aboard three tugboats that have been detained for months in the port of Trois-Rivières.
At least 100 dead as powerful 7.8 earthquake hits Turkiye, Syria
A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkiye and Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and sending panicked residents pouring outside in a cold winter night. At least 100 were killed, and the toll was expected to rise.
Charles Kimbrough, best known for role in 'Murphy Brown,' dies at 86
Charles Kimbrough, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor who played a straight-laced news anchor opposite Candice Bergen on “Murphy Brown,” died Jan. 11 in Culver City, California. He was 86.
‘Natural power’: 17-year-old undefeated Quebec boxer gears up for Canada Games
She started throwing punches to get exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now 17-year-old Talia Birch is gearing up to compete in the Canada Games as it opens up to female boxers for the first time
31,000 cards: Montreal woman passing along father's extensive collection of Expos baseball cards
A Montreal woman is passing along her father's extensive collection of over 31,000 Expos baseball cards. April Whitzman's father, Steve Whitzman, collected the cards from 1969 to 2016. A huge Expos fan, he's got every player covered.
Canadians Drake, Michael Buble, Tobias Jesso Jr. among early Grammy winners
Singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. became a first-time Grammy Award winner at the pre-broadcast ceremony where fellow Canadians Michael Buble and Drake also picked up trophies.
New study highlights increasing prevalence of muscle dysmorphia among Canadian boys, young men
Canadian researchers are drawing attention to the increasing prevalence of 'a pathological pursuit of muscularity' among Canadian boys and young men, with a new study that found one in four were at risk of developing what's known as muscle dysmorphia.
Edmonton
-
Family of man slain in northeast Edmonton searching for answers
An Edmonton family is in mourning after the sudden death of their son and brother in the city's northeast.
-
Woman stabbed in confrontation at grocery store
RCMP are investigating after a woman was stabbed in a Red Deer grocery store on Friday.
-
Local family preserving and passing on culture through dance
A Métis family is showing off their culture through dance, giving people a chance to enjoy it while also preserving it.
Vancouver
-
‘It's my only wish’: Grieving Surrey mother still waiting for justice in daughter's slaying
Two years after a young woman in Surrey was gunned down, her family says they still waiting for justice.
-
'I want to bring Blockbuster back': B.C. teen creates free movie lending library
Tucked away on a residential street in Langley, there's a blue cabinet filled with VHS tapes and DVDs bearing the once-familiar logo of Blockbuster video.
-
Vancouver council set to provide $2.8M funding boost for city’s mental health services
The City of Vancouver will be providing $2.8 million in funding to the local health authority to bolster the city’s mental health services, officials announced Sunday.
Atlantic
-
The Big Thaw: Burst pipes, water damage wreaks havoc on Maritime homes
After one of the coldest days in years for most of the Maritimes, temperatures were up significantly Sunday. Now, after the big chill came the big thaw -- and a flood of calls for local plumbers.
-
Eastern Canada cold snap ends, but thousands in N.S. and N.B. still without power
Cold weather alerts that blanketed eastern Canada for the past two days have largely lifted, but some Nova Scotians and New Brunswickers remain without power due to outages caused by the frigid temperatures and high winds.
-
Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team investigating death of N.B. man: RCMP
New Brunswick RCMP has requested the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) conduct an inquiry after a man died during a police response Saturday.
Vancouver Island
-
5-month suspension for Victoria nurse who 'falsified a medical record'
A Victoria nurse has been suspended for five months for failing to adequately assess a patient and then falsifying a medical record regarding the assessment.
-
B.C. man overcomes 'nightmare' burns to create 'dream come true' life
When he was 18, John Westhaver was the sole survivor of a crash the killed three friends and left him with life-threatening burns. His journey since then has taken him from anger to love.
-
VicPD warns of road closures during B.C. Throne Speech
Several streets around the B.C. legislature building in downtown Victoria will be closed on Monday during the annual Throne Speech.
Toronto
-
Victim identified in fatal hit-and-run on the Danforth that is now considered a homicide
Toronto police have identified the victim of a fatal hit-and-run on the Danforth early Sunday morning, which police say is now being treated as a homicide.
-
Calls grow to declare Toronto homelessness a public health crisis after extreme cold
Councillors in Toronto are set to consider keeping warming centres open 24-7 for the rest of the winter amid growing calls for homelessness to be declared a public health crisis in the city.
-
Historic trees at Toronto's Osgoode Hall spared until Feb. 10 following interim injunction
The historic trees on the chopping block at Osgoode Hall in downtown Toronto will live to see another day.
Montreal
-
Montreal conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin scores two Grammys
Montreal conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin scored two Grammys for his classical works Sunday evening. Nézet-Séguin won best opera recording for "Blanchard: Fire Shut Up In My Bones," and best classical solo vocal album for "Voice Of Nature - The Anthropocene."
-
Advocates come together to help sailors stuck for months on tugboats in Quebec port
Groups that advocate for seafarers are expressing concern for 11 sailors who are spending a harsh Quebec winter aboard three tugboats that have been detained for months in the port of Trois-Rivières.
-
Quebec Liberals to announce Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne candidate after Anglade's resignation
The Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) will announce its candidate for the Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne riding Monday morning, almost three months after former party leader Dominique Anglade announced her resignation.
Ottawa
-
Deep freeze ends in Ottawa
Above seasonal temperatures are in the forecast for Ottawa over the next five days, after three straight days of extreme cold temperatures.
-
Prescott, Ont. council to debate motion to eliminate mandatory oath to King Charles
The debate on elected officials pledging allegiance to King Charles III will shift to a small town south of Ottawa this week, as Prescott town council discusses a motion on whether to abolish the requirement for newly elected members.
-
Kingston's Hotel Dieu Hospital postponing some appointments on Monday following water pipe burst
Kingston's Hotel Dieu Hospital is postponing some in-patient appointments scheduled for Monday following a burst water pipe.
Kitchener
-
Most read stories of the week: Conestoga Mall robbery, house explosion hearing, cancelled Valentine's Day
An armed robbery at Conestoga Mall, a hearing on a 2018 Kitchener house explosion, and a school cancelling Valentine's Day round out the most ready stories of the week.
-
Woolwich man arrested for alleged death threats to local MP
Waterloo regional police have arrested a Woolwich man after death threats were allegedly made to a local Member of Parliament online.
-
Waterloo region residents out enjoying warmer temperatures following cold stint
The arctic-like cold has come and gone and temperatures are on the rise.
Saskatoon
-
Saskatoon city greenhouses on the verge of being condemned: report
Saskatoon will no longer supply its own flowers for its summer flowerpots and garden beds, according to a report before city councillors this week.
-
Sask. man dead following snowmobile collision
A person is dead following a snowmobile collision near Candle Lake early Sunday morning.
-
'A big part of my childhood': Regina student brings Lego to life through stop-motion animation
Jayson Reddekopp has been a Lego collector since he was a kid. Now in his second year of university, he’s bringing his passion to life using just his Lego pieces and an iPhone.
Northern Ontario
-
Sudbury cellphone sale goes wrong
Greater Sudbury Police Service say it has charged a man and a woman with multiple offences following the investigation into an online ad selling a cellular phone.
-
New study highlights increasing prevalence of muscle dysmorphia among Canadian boys, young men
Canadian researchers are drawing attention to the increasing prevalence of 'a pathological pursuit of muscularity' among Canadian boys and young men, with a new study that found one in four were at risk of developing what's known as muscle dysmorphia.
-
Saturday night stabbing in Sudbury leaves one in hospital
A teen is in hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries following an incident in the Greater Sudbury community of Coniston Saturday evening.
Winnipeg
-
‘Those are memories you retain for a long, long time.’: Main and Matheson Salisbury House up for sale
An iconic remnant of a beloved Manitoba restaurant chain is now on the market.
-
'Come home to mama': Family seek help in finding missing 14-year-old girl
The family of a 14-year-old girl missing for the last two weeks in Winnipeg is putting out a desperate plea for information.
-
Former Elmwood-Transcona MP to run in Portage-Lisgar
Lawrence Toet has joined the list of candidates seeking the federal Conservative nomination for the Portage-Lisgar riding.
Regina
-
'A big part of my childhood': Regina student brings Lego to life through stop-motion animation
Jayson Reddekopp has been a Lego collector since he was a kid. Now in his second year of university, he’s bringing his passion to life using just his Lego pieces and an iPhone.
-
Over 40 dogs found in Fort Qu'Appelle home, court documents show
Two men from the Fort Qu'Appelle area were found guilty of causing distress to animals in a dog hoarding case.
-
Mischief charges laid after fire extinguisher set off in business: Regina police
Two youths were arrested after allegedly causing mischief in Regina’s downtown early Saturday night.