By Ivy Weir • Halifax • 2026-06-26
The Atlantic region’s only professional soccer club, "Halifax Tides FC" take on AFC Toronto for a special Pride game on 5 July in Halifax, and Wayves readers get a special discount. Details are at the bottom of the article.
Editor: for the rest of the article, we're using the word "football" - that's what the professionals call it. "FC" means Football Club... or soccer team in layperson's language.
The Northern Super League (NSL) is Canada’s first ever professional level women’s football league. The parent company of the current league was founded in 2022 by Diana Matheson, a two-time Team Canada Olympic Bronze Medallist and Canadian Queer icon. The premier match of the NSL's inaugural season took place in Vancouver a year ago, and Matheson now serves as the league’s Chief Growth Officer.
Matheson and partner Anastasia Bucsis were married in September 2023. Bucsis is a former Canadian Olympic Speed Skater and is now a CBC Sports Presenter. In April, these national treasures announced that they're expecting their first child in July! Click the image for a zoom.
Halifax Tides
Halifax Tides FC was founded by seven Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs, spearheaded by Dr. Courtney Sherlock. Originally from Fall River, Sherlock has been a practicing veterinarian in Halifax for two decades, is the owner of several veterinary hospitals in HRM, was listed among the Top 50 Chief Executive Officers in the Maritimes in 2022 and is now also the CEO of the Tides.
Joining the management team this season is Ruth Fahy as Vice President of Football – she brings to the Club with her a diverse array of skills. Fahy was born in Galway, Ireland, where she played for Galway FC and worked as a sports analyst in the Irish Media. Prior to joining the Tides, she was at the Colorado Rapids where among her many roles she oversaw "safeguarding" -- that is, protecting players (especially children and vulnerable adults) from all forms of abuse, harassment, and neglect -- for the club and with a background in sports law she is ideally suited to stewarding the next generation of players.
The Club’s Mission Statement
We are creating an environment locally, where every player can flourish, every fan can find belonging, and every individual can realize their full potential. By leading with authenticity and warmth, creating moments of joy through unforgettable experiences and cultivating strong relationships, we will be a thriving professional soccer club that demands global & national attention.
Community
Just two years into their existence, the Tides are already firmly rooted in the community. Their Pride merchandise was created in partnership with Halifax creative agency Shortstop, and a percentage of proceeds go to Halifax Pride, through their work with founding partner the IWK Foundation, as well as the QEII Foundation. The Club is raising awareness of women’s health and through initiatives like the match day 50/50 draw, are directly funding innovations in our community's healthcare. The priority for this campaign is to fund new surgical equipment for the treatment of gynaecological cancers at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.
Connections
The Club took part in several pre-season exhibitions earlier this year which expanded the brand’s reach both regionally and internationally.
The team is building bridges between Halifax and the UK; the first match was a private game against the Everton Women's team in Liverpool, England on April 8. The game showcased their ability to compete with the elites of the UK Women’s Premier League.
Other noteworthy games in the Tides’ preseason tour of Britain included playing the Pompey Women’s team of Portsmouth UK which has the distinction of being one of the earliest established female football clubs in the world, becoming an official Club in 1916 following the immense popularity of their numerous matchups against teams from other local “Ladies outfits.” These included a charity match for the Royal Navy Disaster Fund.
Legend has it that in the early years of the women’s game, female opponents were in such short supply that the Club had to play against men's teams -- the defenders, midfielders and forwards of which had their arms tied behind their backs, and the keepers had to keep one arm inside of their shirts -- because of the prevailing belief that women where “the weaker sex.”
Also on the British tour, the Tides also played West Ham United Women’s from Stratford, UK, for whom Halifax’s new signee, Cho So-Hyun previously played.
This season's squad also faced off against the Atlantic All-Stars. This match was notable as a bit of a homecoming for the Tides' Syd Kennedy, an Acadia Axewomen alumna originally from Fletcher’s Lake, NS and a decorated athlete from an early age. She also played for the Nova Scotia Under 16s ice hockey team and in 2016 was named the Soccer Nova Scotia Female Youth Player of the Year, and then laced up her boots for team Nova Scotia at the Canada Games in the summer of 2017.
Kennedy enrolled at the University of Florida in 2019 where she played for and was named Captain of the Woman's team. Oh, and during her time as Skipper, she also made the honour roll all four years in a row. Post Grad, Syd returned to NS to play for the Acadia Women’s team, scoring a goal in every game.
Halifax and the Northern Super League are making cultural tidal waves around the world. Number 33, Tiffany ‘Tiff’ Cameron plays Attacker and Midfielder and is also a recording artist!
In collaboration with Juno nominated, Jamaican born, Halifax based reggae artist Jah’Mila, Tiff wrote and recorded the official anthem for the Northern Super League,“Victory.” The video for that is here. The song has an abundance of references to not only the other Clubs in the NSL, but also Canadian Football’s long pedigree. the track heralds in a new dawn for the world's game here at home.
Tiff played for Team Canada Under 17s in 2008 and the Adults Squad in 2013 and has played in Spain, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Cyprus. She is the first professional athlete featured in the computer game "EA Sports FC" with vitiligo, which creates a stunning, natural diversity of skin tones.
The Beacons
The Tides has an official supporters club, called The Beacons, which is always on hand to keep the energy high, cheer on the girls, and celebrate every goal, penalty, corner and free kick right along with the squad. The Beacons select a Player of the Match at every game, and their president Lynne hand-paints and customizes a buoy with that player’s number and colour! To keep up to date with the Beacons, follow them on Instagram or join the Discord chat and multimedia forum.
There's a podcast too! "The Tides Pod" is hosted by Lynne Fox and Derek Simon and is produced by Down The Pub Media. Follow it on Instagram and listen to their back-catalogue and all the latest episodes on Spotify – other Podcast Platforms are available!
July's Pride Match
The Halifax Tides game against Toronto on July 5 is their Pride game, and Wayves readers get a special discount on select tickets. It'll be the sixth game in Halifax and is sponsored by TD Bank.
There will be a number of pride themed activities around the grounds prior to the match and during half-time, for example, a “show us your Pride” photo booth, and the regular club banners will be swapped for rainbow versions. And you can be sure that mascot Jawslyn will be on duty and looking fierce throughout the day!
The gates open at 3:00pm and the match starts at 4:00pm, at The Wanderer's Grounds, 5711 Sackville St, Halifax. Wayves Magazine readers and the Q elder's organization, The Elderberries, will be congregating in Beach 101.
Click here to get the Wayves discount tickets.
For access to the Accessible Stand, email the Ticketing Office at: ticketing@tidesfc.ca.
