Project8 is Coming to Halifax
It was accidental and was officially announced a month after initial information was leaked, but the fourth Project8 sports franchise will be based in Halifax.
Three job postings (President, Chief Business Officer, Business Development Manager) conspicuously went up for an organization called Atlantic Womens FC claiming to bring professional women’s soccer to Halifax. Their website also went live, the handle of the Instagram account was snatched up, and so the Canadian soccer community went into full detective mode to find out more.
‘In the heart of our vibrant city, a new era in sports is about to begin as we unveil our very own professional women’s soccer team.’
A quick peruse through the website indicates they are still working on their branding, sporting a generic temporary purple and turquoise logo. Likely, they will release their branding at some point this Spring, along with the league branding and reveal of the rest of the teams. They’ve listed ‘Inspiration, Opportunity, and Legacy’ as their guiding principles. The three job postings also mention AWFC’s commitment to their athletes’ experience and community engagement.
The business filings indicate that the company was founded in November of 2023. Initially, Marie Bowie, Amanda Sparkes, Tara Larsen, Courtney Sherlock, Miriam Zitner, and Andrea Thompson were listed as Directors. In a recent update, only Courtney Sherlock (CEO) and Miriam Zitner (Secretary) were listed, with the addition of Adam Baggs (Director). Sherlock is an investor, entrepreneur, and Veterinarian by trade. Zittner is an executive with previous roles in Climate Action, as well as experience in Marketing and Business Development. Baggs is currently the President & CEO of Maplewave, a global retail solutions company, previously he’s worked for companies like Aviva and Manulife.
The official announcement on April 9th didn’t give much more information than what we were able to piece together.
"Halifax is a soccer city," said Courtney Sherlock, co-founder and CEO of the Halifax entry. "The support is just phenomenal. We're very encouraged and truly believe that people will come out and support our team as well."
If we had to guess, the team will likely play out of Wanderer’s grounds, a 6,500 seat temporary stadium located near the Citadel on land that’s part of the Halifax Commons (aka the heart of the city). Sherlock confirmed it is “one option”. CPL Club HFX Wanderer’s have been quite successful in attracting a solid fanbase to the stadium, especially over the last few seasons. The addition of another pro team will also strengthen the bid to build a permanent stadium. Halifax is a great location as there is not much competition in terms of pro sports, the only other team being junior hockey and lacrosse teams. Additionally, when CanWNT came to Halifax last Fall, the game sold out in 20 min and was well attended despite poor weather.
We don’t doubt that this franchise will find success on the East Coast. The region has produced plenty of talented players despite not having access to the same resources as their counterparts in other Canadian provinces. CanWNT alumni Cindy Tye and Marie Bowie come to mind, as do more recent collegiate / YNT standouts like Mya Archibald, Annika Leslie, Saorla Miller, Teni Akindou, and Sydney Kennedy. Off the pitch, Nova Scotia is in good hands. Soccer Nova Scotia is led by Executive Director Lindsay Macaskill and there are several prominent women in leadership roles across the province, such as collegiate coaches Colzie, Tye, and Cyr. Needless to say, a professional team will act as an accelerator for girls and women on the East Coast and can meaningfully impact all women’s sports in the region.