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Saskatchewan Soccer Association & LSSE Announce Soccer Town Saskatchewan

May 18, 2021/0 Comments/in News Room

Regina, SK – May 18, 2021. Saskatchewan Soccer Association (SSA) and Living Sky Sports and Entertainment Inc. (LSSE) are proud to announce a new initiative that will result in one soccer organization or club being crowned Soccer Town Saskatchewan!

Starting June 5, 2021, short video clips from both youth and adult soccer organizations across the province will be shared on social media, with all of SSA’s 57 Member Organizations being eligible to compete. The videos will demonstrate the province’s love of the game, the growing excitement for a Canadian Premier League (CPL) soccer team coming to Saskatchewan, and the soccer community’s support for a soccer specific stadium to be built in Saskatoon. Videos will be judged on a variety of criteria and one organization or club will be awarded the prestigious title of Soccer Town Saskatchewan and awarded the grand prize of $5000 towards field or facility upgrades or equipment.

With approximately 40,000 registrations annually, there is a dynamic, growing, soccer community in Saskatchewan, and when the announcement came on March 12th that LSSE was awarded the exclusive rights to a CPL expansion club in Saskatchewan, the SSA membership was beyond excited.

“This is the beginning of a long partnership with LSSE. Having a professional team in Saskatchewan is a game changer for our sport. Seeing professional soccer played in our own province will inspire our athletes, with some even having the opportunity to play professionally at home. It will encourage more kids to play and increase possibilities for officials to develop their skills. We couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity and for what is to come. We are proud to be supporters of LSSE and the Stadium Project in Saskatoon.” Doug Pederson, Executive Director, Saskatchewan Soccer Association.

“LSSE is honored to join SSA in support of Soccer Town Saskatchewan. This wonderful initiative will benefit a club or organization in the province with funds to enhance the soccer infrastructure or equipment needs in their community – and that’s a good thing,” said LSSE founder Alan Simpson.

Simpson added, “As the game of soccer continues to grow world-wide with Canada and Saskatchewan being no exception, LSSE is hopeful that we can bring a professional team to the province. We believe a pro team will give our local players who aspire to play professionally the opportunity to play at home, and just as importantly, our Saskatchewan fans of the game a team of their own to cheer and support.”

The grand prize will be awarded on Social Media on June 29, 2021. Organizations have until May 31st to declare their interest in participating and the videos will launch on June 5, 2021 on both Saskatchewan Soccer Association and Living Sky Sports social media channels.

 

About Saskatchewan Soccer Association

Saskatchewan Soccer Association is the provincial sport governing body responsible for the promotion and development of the game of soccer in Saskatchewan and is a full member of the Canadian Soccer Association. The professional not-for-profit organization is committed to developing the game by inspiring Saskatchewanians in its Mission to develop great people and connect healthy communities through lifelong participation in soccer. Its Vision is to see soccer enrich people’s lives and build strong relationships in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Soccer Association is comprised of Regular and Associate Members (Member Organizations), made up of associations, clubs, zones, community associations and individual players, coaches, managers and referees. Registered members of the Saskatchewan Soccer Association are entitled to participate in sanctioned soccer activities within the province. Working with Member Organizations, Saskatchewan Soccer Association operates under the guiding values of Integrity, Quality, Innovation, Collaboration, and most importantly, with a Participant-centred approach.

About LSSE

Living Sky Sports and Entertainment Inc. (LSSE) is a Saskatchewan based company specifically incorporated for the purpose of growing the sports market in the Province of Saskatchewan. Most recently, LSSE has entered into an agreement with Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) and acquired the exclusive rights for the development and launch of a Canadian Premier League (CPL) team and signed a Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Regina Red Sox Baseball Club, a member of the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL), to assist with the development of a ballpark stadium located at the rail yards on Dewdney Avenue in Regina.

The first step in the process towards LSSE’s launch of a CPL expansion team is to develop a soccer-ready stadium suitable to CSB’s league wide standards. Initial capacity for a stadium will be approximately 5000 seats with room for further expansion. LSSE’s plans include funding any pre-development costs of a stadium, as well as a meaningful portion of the capital cost of a stadium renovation, refurbishment or construction.

Contact for Further Information:

Nicole Drozda
Email: n.drozda@sasksoccer.com
Phone: 306.519.1618

https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/soccer-town-sask.jpg 510 852 brandonwu@me.com https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lsse-logo-new.png brandonwu@me.com2021-05-18 14:47:052021-05-18 14:48:23Saskatchewan Soccer Association & LSSE Announce Soccer Town Saskatchewan

Show Your Support and Win!

May 12, 2021/1 Comment/in News Room
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CPL/LSSE – Saskatchewan Announcement  Media Recap 

March 26, 2021/0 Comments/in News Room

Overall majority of articles and news is positive with over 15+ interview requests for CPL and LSSE.

CP article syndicated heavily throughout the country with over 110+ articles/posts including TSN, Toronto Star, Yahoo! Sports, Sportsnet, CBC etc.

140+ articles/posts so far

111,578,582 earned media impressions

100+ broadcast mentions

8,769,765 audience reach

 

COMBINED REACH/IMPRESSIONS:  120,348,347

AD VALUE EQUIVALENCY: $883,855.00

 

CPL DEEP DIVE: Saskatchewan supporters left shocked by CPL expansion – CanPL

 

Canadian Press Article

Canadian Premier League looking to add expansion team in Saskatchewan – TSN

 

Canadian Premier League looking to add expansion team in Saskatoon – CBC

 

CPL awards expansion club to Saskatoon pending stadium approval – Sportsnet

 

Original/Unique Articles

Canadian Premier League Expands To Saskatchewan – Northern Tribune

 

Canadian Premier League expands to Saskatchewan, with hurdles still to overcome – Waking The Red

 

https://newsjuly.codegk.com/canadian-premier-league-looking-to-add-expansion-team-in-saskatoon-cbc-sports/ – NewsJuly

 

Canadian Premier League looking to add expansion team in Saskatoon – YYC Times

 

Canadian Premier League adds Saskatoon as 9th franchise – 1 more team to follow? – Transfermarkt

 

CPL unveils expansion team in Saskatchewan – SportBusiness

 

Horse racing permanently cancelled at Marquis Downs; Prairieland plans for soccer facility, pro team – Star Phoenix

 

“Gem of a location”: Proposed pro soccer team thinks Prairieland Park is the place to be – Leader Post

 

Canadian Premier League announces expansion to Saskatchewan – RCINet

 

CPL announces new opponent for Pacific FC – Times Colonist

 

Canadian Premier League looking to add expansion team in Saskatchewan – Dawson Creek Mirror

 

https://1005freshradio.ca/news/7692684/prairieland-park-thoroughbred-racing-soccer/ 1005FreshRadio

 

Saskatoon announced as CPL’s ninth team – Last Word On Soccer  – Last Word On Sports

 

Saskatoon could field first professional soccer club in province’s history – CBC

 

Live Racing Permanently Cancelled At Marquis Downs, Saskatchewan’s Only Thoroughbred Track – Horse Racing News – Paul Ick Report

 

Sask. horse racing community in shock after learning Marquis Downs will be permanently shut down – CBC

 

CPL inks deal with Saskatchewan group – Calgary Sun

 

Episode 434 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Level Plain Fields with special guests David Clanachan, Ricardo Clark, and Al Simpson) – AFTN – AFTN

 

Saskatchewan Soccer Association : Website by RAMP InterActive – Saskatchewan Soccer

Un stade de football en Saskatchewan ? • OStadium.com – OStadium

 

New stadium set for Saskatoon as Canadian Premier League franchise landed – Stadium Business

 

Soccer News | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan’s News Source – Infotel

 

https://loyalcompanyrv.wordpress.com/2021/03/17/lcrv-episode-276/ – Loyal Company RV Podcast

 

Tank: Saskatoon swaps thoroughbred wagering for big gamble on soccer – Star Phoenix

 

March 18th – CJWW Radio

 

Print Coverage

10+ print articles including Chronicle Herald, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Times Colonist, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, Calgary Sun etc.

Broadcast Coverage

100+ radio and television segments/mentions (primarily in SK) CKOM, News Talk 980, 620 CKRM, Global Regina, Global Saskatoon, CTV Saskatoon, CBC

 

https://globalnews.ca/news/7692684/prairieland-park-thoroughbred-racing-soccer – Global News

 

‘Replacing heritage with a patch of grass’: Protestors air frustrations over closure of thoroughbred racing at Prairieland Park – CTV Saskatoon News

 

‘It’s devastating’: Horse racing community in shock after racing cancelled at Marquis Downs – Global News

 

‘It’s happened really quickly’: Prairieland says goodbye to thoroughbred racing – and reveals plans for soccer league – CTV News Saskatoon

 

‘Replacing heritage with a patch of grass’: Protestors air frustrations over closure of thoroughbred racing at Prairieland Park – CTV News Saskatoon

 

The Brent Loucks Show – CKOM, 15 Mar Brent Loucks on Demand – Mark Regier · Rawlco Radio Ltd. – CKOM-AM

 

https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/here-s-why-a-pro-soccer-team-could-thrive-in-saskatoon-1.5351604 – CTV News Saskatoon

 

 

 

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA RECAP

 

Pre Announcement Impressions:                          413,751

 

Announcement Impressions:                                             429,928

 

Post Announcement Impressions:                                    250,961

 

Total: 1,094,640 Impressions

 

Note (Organic = No money put behind posts)

  1. #CanPL was 7th on Twitter Canada trends on Friday afternoon
  2. The Sask expansion announcement on Twitter now ranks as our highest post in terms of impressions for all organic posts with 374,283 impressions.
  3. The Thursday night expansion teaser on Twitter now ranks as our 2nd highest organic post in terms of impressions of all organic posts with 234,180 impressions.

Comparisons:

– The Ottawa expansion announcement tweet generated 191,524 impressions (3rd all time)

– The Ottawa expansion teaser tweet generated 145,368 impressions (5th all time)

 

Twitter Canada Trends – March 12, 2021

https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cpl.jpg 800 1080 brandonwu@me.com https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lsse-logo-new.png brandonwu@me.com2021-03-26 16:07:452021-03-26 16:07:45CPL/LSSE – Saskatchewan Announcement  Media Recap 
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Here’s why a pro soccer team could thrive in Saskatoon

March 17, 2021/0 Comments/in News Room

SASKATOON — Local soccer fanatic Lee Kormish says he was shocked when he heard the news that Prairieland Park and Saskatchewan-based Living Sky Sports & Entertainment were teaming up to bring a professional soccer team to the city.

“You couldn’t knock the smile off my face, I mean I was so excited,” he said. “I thought we were years away from this type of plan.”

Kormish was co-chair of the SK Summer Soccer Series in 2019, which saw three exhibition games at SMF Field between a team made up of local players and Calgary Foothills FC, the Vancouver Whitecaps U-23 squad, and Toronto FC2.

“It was a test market run, and it passed the test,” said Kormish. “Nothing games attracted 3,000 people, and that is a success rate across the country.”

Canadian businessman Joe Belan was part of the group that organized the series, and worked towards bringing a professional team to the province. Another member of that group was Alan Simpson, who went on to co-found Living Sky Sports & Entertainment.

Simpson says Belan is no longer in the plans to bring pro soccer to Saskatchewan.

Percy Hoff, the director of coach and player development with Hollandia Soccer Club in Saskatoon, coached the local team in the first of the Summer Series games.

Hoff says soccer in the province is “fragmented,” with provincial teams being cancelled in 2011.

“They’re not part of our programming anymore, which I think wasn’t the best thing to happen to soccer,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of people pulling in different directions and hopefully we can see it start to come back together again, work together.”

He says he hopes one of the goals for LSSE and a professional team would be to unify soccer in the province.

“Hopefully it’s a positive thing, and we will work together and try to get something going,” he said.

Simpson says he’s in the process of connecting with the soccer community in Saskatchewan and the team would engage with soccer right down to the grassroots level in the province.

“I don’t want it to ever be lost that we are a country of immigrants,” said Simpson on Wednesday. “The people who have arrived here over the last 25 years, I would argue, I think it would be right that 80 per cent of them come from a country of origin where soccer was either the number one spectator sport, or participant sport, or both.”

“And so when you fast forward that into Saskatoon, and you’ve got that kind of diversity that we all talk about, that diversity of culture, and you can take and you can weave the common thread of soccer through all of those cultures, stitch that all together, bring all that diversity together one or two days or nights a week, coalesce it under one roof, cheer for one club.

“If that doesn’t build civic pride and community, then I’m missing it.”

In an interview with CTV News on Friday, CPL commissioner David Clanachan said it’s important to the league to gain a presence in Saskatchewan.

“It’s one thing to say coast to coast, but you’re on opposite coasts, you’ve got to fill in everything right, and you want everybody to be part of the program here,” he said.

“To build a sports franchise in this world today, it’s all about fans. Live sports is about people, it’s about those bums in seats. At the end of the day you’ve got to have people there that support it, and (Saskatchewan has) that.”

Creating a development path
Kormish believes what’s missing in the sport is the pathway for local players to progress to elite levels of the game as they get older.

“University is the highest level that we have in Saskatoon, so what you’ll see is you’ll see a lot of players going to Vancouver to Winnipeg to Toronto, even a lot of the female players go down south to colleges and universities,” he said.

That would change with a professional team, he says.

“That will allow local players to have opportunity here in Saskatchewan, which is probably the most exciting part for me.”

“Absolutely we want that,” echoed Simpson, who says the CPL will allow U-Sport soccer players to “get a taste” of the professional game with their clubs, and still be eligible to return to school.

“That’s a commitment to the development of the local player,” he said. “It is a pathway for kids who are playing now, to play professionally in Saskatoon.”

Hoff says that could have a big effect on youth soccer in Saskatchewan.

“Anytime that there’s a horizon for somebody to look towards, and something to aspire towards, (it’s a good thing),” he said.

New stadium site and cost
Simpson says the new franchise is contingent on the building of a new soccer-specific stadium, which he says is a necessity to long-term viability.

“It becomes quite evident that we need to have a stadium where we are the key anchor tenants, where we have access to naming rights, sponsorship rights, advertising rights, employment, food and beverage, and all sorts of things, and all the ancillary revenues that come,” he said.

“They’re very, very committed,” Prairieland Park CEO Mark Regier said of the CPL on Friday. “They have a good management team, and they’re committed long term to the success of the league, and we think it’s going to be hugely successful going forward.”

The infrastructure at Marquis Downs, including the grandstands as well as electricity and utilities, is what makes that site work.

“You’ve got that sitting out there, and you’re on Circle Drive and you’re driving past, I don’t care what direction you’re coming from, that can be very visually appealing,” he said. “And this may sound goofy, but those things are important to communities, and the pride and the culture that they build.”

Simpson says construction costs could range between $15 to $21 million and within two to three weeks initial concept designs of the stadium will be released.

https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-03-17-at-9.56.04-PM.jpg 880 1566 brandonwu@me.com https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lsse-logo-new.png brandonwu@me.com2021-03-17 21:57:202021-03-17 21:57:20Here’s why a pro soccer team could thrive in Saskatoon
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Canadian Premier League Podcast with Alan Simpson from Living Sky Sports & Entertainment

March 12, 2021/0 Comments/in News Room
https://cdn.canpl.ca/videos/2021/03/11/Al_Simpson_CanPLN_seg_mp4_720p.mp4
https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-03-11-at-7.33.12-PM.jpg 1387 2545 brandonwu@me.com https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lsse-logo-new.png brandonwu@me.com2021-03-12 08:00:492021-03-12 10:01:03Canadian Premier League Podcast with Alan Simpson from Living Sky Sports & Entertainment
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Canadian Premier League Announces Expansion in Saskatchewan

March 11, 2021/0 Comments/in News Room

 

Living Sky Sports and Entertainment Inc. awarded exclusive rights to launch a CPL expansion team 

 

Toronto, ON / Saskatoon, SK (March 12, 2021) – The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is pleased to announce they have awarded the exclusive rights to a CPL expansion club to Living Sky Sports and Entertainment Inc. (LSSE), a Saskatchewan based company. The launch of an expansion club is contingent upon LSSE delivering a soccer-specific stadium to League standards, and to that end, LSSE has identified Prairieland Park in Saskatoon as a preferred site for a stadium.

“On behalf of the Board of Governors, we are pleased to make this announcement today as we know we have a very supportive and engaged community of soccer fans in Saskatchewan and have since we launched the League,” said David Clanachan, Commissioner, Canadian Premier League. “We are extremely hopeful that LSSE will be able to meet the League soccer-specific stadium requirements so that we can begin celebrating Canadian soccer in Saskatoon.”

Alan Simpson, Founder of LSSE and a life-long resident of Saskatchewan will head the effort to bring a CPL club to Saskatchewan. LSSE ownership group may further include Founding Partners and Community Partners with LSSE acting as the Managing Partner.

“We are excited about being part of the Canadian Premier League’s expansion plans for Saskatchewan,” said Alan Simpson principal of LSSE. “Signing the Agreement in Principle gives us the opportunity to bring the CPL and professional soccer to the province. By acquiring the exclusive rights to a CPL expansion club, we can immediately begin work on our first task, which is the development and financing of a soccer-ready stadium, suitable to CPL league wide standards, but more importantly, begin supporting the dream many Canadian kids have of playing pro soccer in their own province and country,” Simpson added. “We think Prairieland Park in Saskatoon is an ideal location for a stadium – it already possesses many key attributes that would contribute to the long-term viability of a pro soccer team in Saskatchewan.”

Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corporation is a membership based, non-profit corporation, first established as an agricultural society in 1886.  Located in the Exhibition neighbourhood of the south-eastern portion of Saskatoon. Prairieland Park offers a variety of event facilities.

 

“When Prairieland was approached about the possibility of a soccer stadium at the Park, we felt compelled to consider whether such an infrastructure project could enhance the long-term sustainability of the Park, as well as contribute meaningfully to the City of Saskatoon,” Mark Regier CEO of Prairieland Park commented. “While we have not come to a definitive answer, Prairieland has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with LSSE. The signing of the MOU, therefore, marks the end of thoroughbred racing at Marquis Downs in Saskatoon. We feel it is our responsibility to embrace the possibility of new opportunities and address the rapid pace of change in our core businesses and services. We look forward to working with LSSE to understand whether a stadium at Prairieland is in our best long-term interests.” 

 

About the Canadian Premier League

Canadian Premier League (CPL) is Canada’s professional men’s soccer league that debuted on April 27, 2019. Headquartered in Toronto, ON, the Canadian Premier League features eight clubs from coast-to-coast. For updates and more information on the CPL, a league for Canadians by Canadians, visit CanPL.ca.

Connect with us on Twitter: @CPLsoccer and #CanPL

 

About LSSE and Alan Simpson

Living Sky Sports and Entertainment Inc. is a Saskatchewan based company specifically incorporated for the purpose of launching a professional soccer club for the Province of Saskatchewan. LSSE has entered into an agreement with Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) and acquired the exclusive rights for the development and launch of a Canadian Premier League (CPL) team. The founder and CEO of LSSE is Alan Simpson a life-long resident of Saskatchewan.

 

Alan is also a founder of StorageVault Canada – publicly traded on the TSXV with $1.5 billion market capitalization. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer and currently a director and Chair of the Acquisition Committee. He is also co-founder, together with SaskTel, of Hospitality Network Canada. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer until 2005 and Chairman from 2011 -2018. Connect with LSSE at lssa.ca, on Twitter @livingskysports1, on Facebook @livingskysports and on Instagram @livingskysports.

 

About Prairieland Park
Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corporation is a membership based, non-profit corporation, first established as an agricultural society in 1886, the same year the first annual fair was held in Saskatoon.

 

Since its earliest days as a centre for agricultural excellence, Prairieland Park in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has evolved into a provincial leader in the development of trade shows, conferences, special events, industry expositions, concerts, cabarets, and more! With more than $16 million in infrastructure enhancement in recent years, Prairieland Park has become one of Canada’s premier venues.

 

The 136-acre park features easy access, ample on-site parking, within an approximate five-minute drive from downtown Saskatoon and offering over 200,000 square feet of world class meeting, trade show, and conference space … Saskatchewan’s largest all-under-one-roof trade exposition space.

 

-30-

 

For more information please contact:

Micki Benedetti

Canadian Premier League

micki.benedetti@canpl.ca

 

 

 

 

 

https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cpl.jpg 800 1080 brandonwu@me.com https://lsse.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lsse-logo-new.png brandonwu@me.com2021-03-11 16:13:422021-03-11 16:14:15Canadian Premier League Announces Expansion in Saskatchewan

Team News Links

Coming soon.

Our Stadium Projects

Marquis Downs at Prairieland Park – Soccer

Saskatoon

As you might expect, a pro soccer club needs a soccer stadium. At LSSE, our first job is to get that done. We are excited to have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Prairieland Park to explore the refurbishment and development of Marquis Downs to a soccer stadium – ready for Saskatoon’s CPL pro soccer club and much more. Visit our Stadium Project page for updates and learn more. We will post updates as they unfold.

In the meantime, we invite you to share our vision and express your support.

Learn More and Show Your Support

Ballpark Stadium at The Railyards on Dewdney

Regina

The Regina Red Sox are a summer league collegiate team based in Regina, Saskatchewan with roots stemming back to the 1940’s. The club operates as a franchise member of the Western Canadian Baseball League playing a 56-game schedule during the spring and summer with 28 home games plus preseason and playoffs held at the ball diamond at Currie Field. Currie Field, a 60 year old venue is no longer suitable for the continued success of the Red Sox. And as such, the Red Sox and LSSE have entered into an MOU for the development of a ballpark stadium at the rail yards on Dewdney Ave.

We invite you to share our vision and express your support.

Learn More and Show Your Support

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