The Voyageurs
Supporting	Canada Canada men's national soccer team The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
Established	1996
Website	www.cansoc.org

The Voyageurs is an unofficial Canadian soccer supporters group founded in 1996, notable for their support of Canada's national teams

Canada men's national soccer team

The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

, awarding of the annual Voyageurs Cup

Voyageurs Cup

The Voyageurs Cup is the only trophy for top-level professional soccer in Canada. From 2002 to 2007, the cup was awarded annually to the Canadian team finishing with the best record in the USL First Division, from regular season matches against other Canadian teams in the league, and from 2008 the...

 for men's soccer at the MLS

Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...

 and former USL-1

USL First Division

The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....

 levels and influence in the Canadian soccer

Soccer in Canada

Association football, more commonly known in Canada as soccer, is the most popular sport in terms of participation rate. According to FIFA's Big Count, 2,695,712 people played in Canada in 2006.-Terminology:...

 media.

History

The group's first appearance at a match came at Commonwealth Stadium

Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)

Commonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...

 in Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, on August 30th, 1996, displaying two banners at Canada

Canada men's national soccer team

The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

's match with Panama

Panama national football team

The Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...

 to kick off the 1998 FIFA World Cup

1998 FIFA World Cup

The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

 qualifying campaign

1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)

The 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification, CONCACAF zone ran from March 1996 to November 1997 in order to determine the three CONCACAF representatives at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. For an overview of the qualification rounds, see 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification....

. Partly created to help foster a pro-Canadian sentiment at home games traditionally dominated by away supporters, the Voyageurs developed an online presence through the work of early members like Edmonton's Reza Khalili and gained its name through a suggestion by Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 soccer fan Martin Rose. The name "The Voyageurs" was chosen partly for being bilingual and for reflecting the difficult task ahead for supporters of Canadian soccer attempting to promote the game.

One of the group's first cohesive actions was to organize a petition to attempt to convince Owen Hargreaves

Owen Hargreaves

Owen Lee Hargreaves is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester City and the English national football team....

 to play internationally for Canada

Canada men's national soccer team

The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

. Born in Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

 to a Welsh

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 mother and an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 father, and also eligible as a British citizen born outside the United Kingdom to play for Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland national football team

The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

 or Scotland

Scotland national football team

The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

, Hargreaves had yet to play in a competitive international match and thus be bound to any of the five countries, despite turning out in a series of friendlies for Wales

Wales national football team

The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

 in 1998. He eventually chose England

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 and went on to star at the 2006 World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup

The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

. Early members of the Voyageurs also devoted resources to an annual Christmas card

Christmas card

A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to the Christmas and holiday season. Christmas cards are usually exchanged during the weeks preceding Christmas Day by many people in Western...

 mailing to Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 players abroad from 1998 on, a task that involved a relatively small number of players in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 compared to the present day.

The Voyageurs made their Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

 debut at a May 27th, 2000 international friendly against Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago national football team

The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...

 at Varsity Stadium

Varsity Stadium

Varsity Stadium is a collegiate football stadium that is home to the Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While the present structure was built in 2007, it is in fact the third major incarnation of the stadium that has occupied the same site...

 at the University of Toronto

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

 campus on Bloor Street. They were also present at the World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

 qualifier against Mexico

Mexico national football team

The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...

 at the same location later that year. A British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 branch, the Fort Victoria Voyageurs, made an appearance at the FIFA U-20 World Cup

FIFA U-20 World Cup

The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...

 qualifiers in Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

 in March 2001.

Throughout their history, the Voyageurs have supported the Canadian national team

Canada men's national soccer team

The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

 with banners, drums and chants during international matches in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

; Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

; Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

; Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

; Tallinn

Tallinn

Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...

, Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

 and a number of other venues all over the world. The group was noted for their support of host nation Canada

Canada U-20 men's national soccer team

Canada U-20 men's national soccer team, also known as Canada Under-20s or Canada U-20s, is the youth club for national soccer in Canada. It plays a large role in the development of Canadian soccer, and is considered to be the feeder team for the Canada men's national soccer team...

 at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup

2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup

The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the sixteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup , hosted by Canada from June 30 to July 22, 2007. Argentina defeated Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth...

 during matches in Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, and were recognized with an appearance on FIFA

FIFA

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

's television magazine FIFA Futbol Mundial

FIFA Futbol Mundial

FIFA Futbol Mundial is a football-related magazine show produced by IMG Sports Media in conjunction with FIFA.The show has been on air since 1994, having been started by former ITV football commentator Gerry Harrison as executive producer. The initial production team was Peter Hutton, Guy Oliver,...

.

In May 2007, members of the group organized a letter of protest to the Canadian Soccer Association

Canadian Soccer Association

The Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...

 over their hiring procedure for the men's national team

Canada men's national soccer team

The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

 manager position and helped to publicize the Canadian Soccer Supporters United campaign to have spectators decked out in black "Sack the CSA" t-shirts at the friendly between Canada and Costa Rica

Costa Rica national football team

The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...

 at BMO Field

BMO Field

BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...

.

The Voyageurs have worked with supporters groups from Canadian clubs Toronto FC

Toronto FC

Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....

, Montreal Impact

Montreal Impact

Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...

 and Vancouver Whitecaps FC to distribute tickets for Canadian national team games.

Voyageurs Cup

From 2002 through 2007, the Voyageurs Cup

Voyageurs Cup

The Voyageurs Cup is the only trophy for top-level professional soccer in Canada. From 2002 to 2007, the cup was awarded annually to the Canadian team finishing with the best record in the USL First Division, from regular season matches against other Canadian teams in the league, and from 2008 the...

, organized and funded entirely through private donations by members of the group, was awarded annually to the Canadian USL-1

USL First Division

The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....

 (formerly the A-League) side finishing the regular season with the best record in intra-Canadian league matches. The Montreal Impact

Montreal Impact

Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...

 won the first six titles, with teams from Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

, Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 and Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

 all competing at some point in the competition's history.

In 2008, the trophy was handed over to the CSA

Canadian Soccer Association

The Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...

 to be handed to the winners of the Canadian Championship

Canadian Championship

The Canadian Championship—known as the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons—is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams...

. The terms of the agreement were set to be reviewed in 2010.

Player awards

The Voyageurs have awarded the following privately organized and financed awards to Canadian national team

Canada men's national soccer team

The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

 players:

Voyageurs International Player of the Year

Year	First	Second	Third
2006	Atiba Hutchinson Atiba Hutchinson Atiba Hutchinson is a professional Canadian soccer player who plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie.-Club career:...	Kevin McKenna Kevin McKenna Kevin James McKenna is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for 1. FC Köln in the German Bundesliga...	Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
2007	Julian de Guzman Julian de Guzmán Julian de Guzman is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.Previously, he played for Deportivo de La Coruña, and was the first Canadian to play in the Spanish La Liga...	Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...	Pat Onstad Pat Onstad Patrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...  and Lars Hirschfeld Lars Hirschfeld Lars Justin Hirschfeld is a Canadian football goalkeeper currently playing for Vålerenga Fotball in Norway.-Club career:Hirschfeld started his career with the Edmonton Drillers, playing indoor soccer...  (tie)
2008	Tomasz Radzinski Tomasz Radzinski Not to be confused with the Czech footballer Tomáš RosickýTomasz Radzinski is a Canadian association footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently unattached.-Club career:...	Julian de Guzman Julian de Guzmán Julian de Guzman is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.Previously, he played for Deportivo de La Coruña, and was the first Canadian to play in the Spanish La Liga...	Ali Gerba Ali Gerba -Canada/United States:In 2000 Gerba signed with the Montreal Impact where he recorded 6 goals and 2 assists, a club record for a rookie. In 2001 Gerba signed with the Miami Fusion of the MLS but had little success in Miami...
2009	Mike Klukowski	Simeon Jackson Simeon Jackson Simeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...	Will Johnson Will Johnson William "Will" Johnson is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the Canada national soccer team.-Youth:...
2010	Atiba Hutchinson Atiba Hutchinson Atiba Hutchinson is a professional Canadian soccer player who plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie.-Club career:...	Josh Simpson Josh Simpson Joshua Christopher Simpson is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Manisaspor and the Canadian national team as a midfielder.-Club career:...	Simeon Jackson Simeon Jackson Simeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...

Voyageurs Golden Shoe

Year	Goals	First	Team	League
2005	17	Jason Jordan Jason Jordan Jason Jordan is a retired professional soccer player who formerly played for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the First Division of the United Soccer Leagues...	Vancouver Whitecaps	USL-1 USL First Division The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
2006	27	Gabriel Pop	Serbian White Eagles Serbian White Eagles Serbian White Eagles Football Club is a Canadian soccer team. The team is a member of the Canadian Soccer League....	CSL Canadian Soccer League (current) The Canadian Soccer League is the top soccer league in Canada and is controlled by the Canadian Soccer Association. It was formerly known as the Canadian Professional Soccer League , and was officially re-branded on May 17, 2006...
2007	18	Nicolas Lesage Nicolas Lesage Nicolas Lesage is a retired Canadian soccer player who played as a striker.Lesage began his career at the college level during his enrollment at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. Upon his graduation from university, Lesage would sign with the Montreal Impact... and Gabriel Pop	Trois-Rivières Attak Trois-Rivières Attak Trois-Rivières Attak FC is a Canadian soccer team, taking a sabbatical year from the Canadian Soccer League. They formally served as a reserve/academy team for the USL First Division side Montreal Impact until 2010, when Montreal Impact founded their own academy...  and Serbian White Eagles Serbian White Eagles Serbian White Eagles Football Club is a Canadian soccer team. The team is a member of the Canadian Soccer League....	CSL Canadian Soccer League (current) The Canadian Soccer League is the top soccer league in Canada and is controlled by the Canadian Soccer Association. It was formerly known as the Canadian Professional Soccer League , and was officially re-branded on May 17, 2006...
2008	18, 12	Daniel Nascimento and Eduardo Sebrango Eduardo Sebrango Eduardo Sebrango is a Cuban-Canadian footballer who currently plays for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League.-Club:...	Brampton Lions Brampton Lions Brampton City United FC are a Canadian soccer team, founded in 2002. The team is a member of the Canadian Soccer League, the third tier of competition in the Canadian soccer pyramid and the largest domestic pro league in Canada...  and Vancouver Whitecaps	CSL Canadian Soccer League (current) The Canadian Soccer League is the top soccer league in Canada and is controlled by the Canadian Soccer Association. It was formerly known as the Canadian Professional Soccer League , and was officially re-branded on May 17, 2006... , USL-1 USL First Division The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....