Established
1982
City
Dartmouth
League History
1982 - 1983 / Canadian Football League
Team History
1982 - 1983 / Atlantic Schooners
Nickname
Schooners - The Atlantic Schooners is a beloved Canadian Football League (CFL) team for many sports fans. But do you know where their nickname comes from?
The name “Schooner” derives from a type of sailing ship commonly used in the Maritime Provinces during the 18th and 19th centuries. The schooner was an essential part of life in this region, providing transportation for people and goods between ports throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador. As such, it has become synonymous with maritime culture, so it makes sense as a nickname for an East Coast CFL team!
In addition to its historical significance to Canada’s Maritime Provinces, the schooner also holds special meaning within football circles: A “schooner play” is when two players on offense line up side-by-side at scrimmage before one moves forward or backward (depending on which way they want to run). This formation resembles sails billowing out against wind—hence why it became known as a “schooner play." It's no surprise then that this term eventually made its way into football terminology!
Today there may be no official Atlantic Schooners franchise yet. Still, they remain popular amongst fans who love them because of their connection with history and what they represent: resilience through difficult times, strength amidst adversity, and courage despite overwhelming odds – all qualities we can take inspiration from today!
Championship
Grey Cup 0
Stadium
1982 - 1983 / Could not secure a stadium
Owner
1982 - 1983 / Maritime Professional Football Club Ltd. (Included John Donoval, J. I. Albrecht, and R. B. Cameron)
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history
- 1982
- 1983
-
Schooners Team Formation
On May 13, 1982, Maritime Professional Football Club Ltd. was granted a conditional expansion franchise by the Canadian Football League’s board of governors with unanimous approval. The team was to pay a $1.5 million expansion fee by May 1, 1983 and could begin to play in 1984 if a suitable 30,000 seat stadium were built in time for the league ... -
Schooners Withdrew Their Application
The Schooners proposed home was a 34,000-seat stadium located on leased land in the city of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, said to be built at a cost of $6 million. When the franchise was awarded, it was still being debated between the mayors of Halifax and Dartmouth where the new stadium should be built as both wanted the team in their respective cities. ...
History of the Schooners
The Atlantic Schooners were a proposed Canadian Football League (CFL) team never officially formed. The idea for the team originated in 1982 when local businessman John Donoval attempted to bring professional football to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Despite numerous attempts and much public support, the Schooners could never secure an official franchise from the CFL and remain only a dream of what could have been.
The story of the Atlantic Schooners is one of the missed opportunities and dashed dreams; however, it has not stopped devoted fans from supporting this non-existent team over three decades later. In 2014, a group called Touchdown Atlantic organized an exhibition game between two teams representing eastern Canada in hopes that it would spur interest in bringing back professional football to Halifax again – but nothing concrete has come out of these efforts either.
For sports fans who understand just how difficult it can be for small market teams like this one to compete with larger cities such as Toronto or Montreal – let alone get off the ground at all – there is still hope that someday we will see an official version of what could have been: The Atlantic Schooners! Until then, though, we can only imagine what might have happened if they had become part of Canada’s beloved CFL family after all these years…
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