Toronto, ON – (April 19, 2023) – League1 Canada and Soccer Québec today announced that the Première ligue de soccer du Québec (PLSQ) will now be known as Ligue1 Québec, effective immediately.
The oldest of the provincial leagues within the League1 Canada national alliance, PLSQ was established in 2012 and last year consisted of 12 teams competing in each of the men’s and women’s divisions. AS Blainville, one of PLSQ’s founding members, won the women’s championship and lifted the inaugural League1 Canada Women’s Interprovincial Championship in August. FC Laval were crowned men’s champions last year and represented PLSQ in the 2023 edition of the Canadian Championships.
League1 Canada, owned and managed by Canadian Soccer Business, launched in March 2022 in partnership with Soccer Québec, BC Soccer and Ontario Soccer, with a goal of unifying, aligning and elevating the sport of soccer at the Division III Pro-Am level. The rebranding of PLSQ to Ligue1 Québec was initially announced at the time of the launch of League1 Canada.
Dino Rossi, President of League1 Canada, said: “This is another significant moment in the development of League1 Canada.
“Our vision for the alliance was to consolidate our expertise and shared interests to establish a nationwide platform to grow the Pro-Am game. We are grateful to our friends at Soccer Québec for their support during the first year of League1 Canada, particularly for hosting such a successful Interprovincial Championship.
“We now have a unified appearance and solid foundation from which to evolve, and our focus for 2023 switches to progressing conversations with new markets and staging the Interprovincial Championship in Vancouver later this year.”
Olivier Plante, Interim Director-General of Soccer Québec, said: “It’s great news for soccer to see the three pro-am leagues in the country come together under the same identity to lead development efforts in the same direction. More than ever, we need to work together for a strong soccer structure from the grassroots to the elite.
“Last season, we watched with pride as AS Blainville, a club from Québec, won the first Women’s Interprovincial Championship, and we’re excited to continue to give our clubs here the opportunity to shine across the country. Thank you to League1 Canada and to all those who strive to make our young people dream.”
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Follow Ligue1 Québec on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @Ligue1QC. Learn more about League1 Canada by visiting league1canada.com.