Expansion in CSL is ever coming?

[Juby]

OK still got a few things I'd like to say in this thread. It's easy to say, "we all want a Canadian league" but surely it should be qualified a bit to read, "we all want a viable Canadian league that actually works"? That is where the point of disagreement enters into the picture because some appear to be on a crusade to have a Canadian league for political reasons and will back any entity with "Canadian...Soccer League" in its name in a blind faith sort of way out of a misplaced sense of patriotism.

At the Division II level I would see a Canadian league as being worth pursuing if there were a strategic vision involved based like MLS on a long-term investment of capital by several deep-pocketed individuals and/or corporations. That would mean an SSS ideally being built in each city with a 5k to 10k sort of capacity with a view to future expansion and a budget based on genuine full-time professionalism with a break even point of about 5000 spectators. In the absence of that being viable it is better to have two or three teams in an American league than to try to do it in a Canadian context. What happens when the CSA are directly in the loop is that a mixture of soccer league and association empire builder types, opportunists who are on an ego trip and investors who are on a Walter Mitty style escapist fantasy combine to create something completely unrealistic and unsustainable that soon folds doing immense damage to the image of the sport.

At the Division III level although there is no obvious need for national coordination if regular seasons are going to be exclusively local affairs the flip side is that there are potential arguments in favour if it provides enhanced marketing opportunities etc and helps to bring all the top clubs in each province/large city into a rational systematic league structure based on promotion/relegation. To expect that last bit to happen in Canadian soccer is wildly optimistic unfortunately because the current shenanigans in Alberta are only the tip of the iceberg. In governance terms, Canadian soccer has no strategic vision (sadly the USSF is way ahead of the CSA on this) and is almost completely driven by the empire building of officeholders and their petty attempts to keep their snouts at the trough.

Even if the governance of Canadian soccer at the provincial and national association sort of levels were up to the task, the CSL's franchise based model is the wrong way to bring people together so they are all pushing in the same direction because the lack of promotion and relegation inherently creates a situation where there are parallel competing league structures. Anyone who naively thinks that the franchise in the higher status league will always have the best team in its locality with the most spectator interest should study what has happened in London, Ont over the last 20 years. In BC if the CSL brought the PCSL and the winter club leagues like the VMSL, VISL and FVSL together it would probably be very beneficial to the development of the sport. Instead what is more likely to happen is that the initial way in for the CSL will be attract fringe groups and clubs that the existing leagues prefer to have as little to do with as possible (anybody else remember the guy in Calgary with his CPSL west stuff?) and a two way split in organizational terms will be turned into a three-way split based in part on an anachronistic division of clubs into amateur and semi-pro categories long after the original rationale for doing it had ceased to apply.

To sum up. Canadian national leagues would be good under the right circumstances but in the absence of the conditions required to do the job properly attempts to create them are liable to do a lot more harm than good. I will only follow up on posts that stick to the issues and will ignore all posts that contain personal attacks.

this is a poor rational, you pretty much told us what you think our opinions are and proceeded to argue this instead of what was actually said...anyone can do this. First paragraph is the worst, I want a national league to pool resources and improve the national team, no matter how much you try and inaccurately degenerate it to misplaced pride, your literally trying to change your opponents arguements into something you feel you can argue.

For the eleventy billionth time, no one really expects division 2, so your once again just trying to degenerate our arguements by refuting faulty arguements no one has made, why don't I argue my opinion by pretending you want the csa to join the ussf and start by making you look foolish on arguements no one is making (at best I said a couple times that if the ussfd-2 crashes and burns, that would probably give as a golden opportunity to do something decent, but I doubt it).

Now after you've pretending our arguements were stupid for wanting division II play (which is just you playing trash politics) you then matter of factly say theirs no need for div III coordination, you then, mention my actual point of wanting to pool resources which contridicts your point completely, but you say it's wildly optimistic (why, explain, don't just talk down about the opinions you don't like some 18th century french aristocrat, if you can't back up an opinion properly, maybe your the one being irrationally emotional), I don't think its wildly optimistic, were a massive country, we've already done alot in a couple small regions. Your arguements following this are barely relevant and poor. You lower us down to what is currently the most dysfunctional assosciation (come on guy, this is basic logic, you can't say, well look at the worst possible example, that is honestly like me pointing out the worst member of your family and labeling your a family as a whole based on his actions, why do you bother to make such baseless rebuttles (because it gives the appearance of you making point). Your next point is also poor, 'canadian soccer' has no vision? and your silly little comment about the fat cats also just refers to vague beefs with unnamed people, I think your confused between lack of vision and conflicting visions, the csl has it's own vision, people have conflicting visions, the csa isn't really responsible for building clubs in your community and although they will need to get in on it when it's there, the real arguement your getting at is there's no obvious rich top option with money and a vision, there's competing visions and probably not all them will work out (for a while in the states you saw the USL and MLS as fairly close together, they were competiting visions, not no vision and eventually MLS became top dog). What are you going to argue next, that it will never happen cause 'those' politicians and their politics? The fact of the matter is, you don't think this will work because it failed 20 years ago, it's a fine point but just cause I can make good counter points, doesn't mean you should say anything just to win an arguement for the sake of winning an arguement, I shouldn't have to waste my time defending my ideas from being smeared as idiotic by points that don't even make logical sense.

Your 4th paragraph once again, literally makes no sense (and that's like the 5th time you said anachronistic, using big words doesn't make you sound smart if you overuse them, it just makes you sound snooty, diction). How does argueing at the current csl's lack of promotion (when at the moment theirs a lack of teams to necessitate it) mean their against it? or not planning on it? would you argue they put it into their model years early just to do it when your so adamant that putting the peices of a national league together to early is stupid? contridictory much? but really for it to be a contridiction your arguement would need to make sense, you baselessly made a poor point against a national league in the future by pointing out some problems with putting the current regional model nationwide (why would they be stupid enough to just stamp the current regional format nationally, do you not think other people have brains? why would they do things as stupidly as possible (well the only reason would be to fit your silly arguement which no one would do) Do you always oversimplify and exxagerate other peoples arguements so you don't have to actually deal with what they actually say? Better leagues generally do encourage an improvement of the bottom, your example of a pdl team vs the csl over the last decade in london is poor because your comparing very parellel leagues (as I said before, I think the only winning edge the csl has is the strength and experience of a men's league) instead of comparing a very obvious heirarchy, hell you become a better player losing against the best then winning against weak opponents. You just tried to twist this to support your opinion but it's fundementally wrong, creating a clear step pushes up the quality, but parrallel developement tends to dilute everything a bit (better then nothing but that's about it) unless its got a decent amount of breathing room (like you know, like half canadian cities anyway)

Why don't you just come clean and put it simply, you don't think the fan supports their, I make a good counter arguement about growth, it doesn't make you wrong just cause I have a good arguement, but you don't have to literally say any illogical nonsense that makes sense in your head for half a second just cause you can't stand that I have a good arguement against your arguement, I always thought it was more foolish and embarressing to be caught talking nonsense then to possibly be wrong. And big surprise about you ignoring posts, you've clearly ignored pretty much everything I wrote or you wouldn't still be prattling on about division II like you've suffered a head trauma, Seriously, I'm gonna try and stay away for a couple days cause being smeared by illogical arguements angers up my blood (cant you use your brain and realize when something just makes no sense rather then putting me in a position where I have to try and explain logical reasoning and deductions to a grown man).

edit: one second were being too ambitious even though were talking about something to probably end the decade with, and then when they do make a few moves, to link up with a few leagues and start to get peices together there not doing enough cause their not their yet? their moving slowly like you want, don't then accuse them of lacking long term vision.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

The interesting move, for me, would be if the CSL could setup a CSL-2 or a relationship with some other leagues. The Quebec senior league have 20 teams that play on a provincial basis. I find the Ontario Soccer League system a bit more confusing, so some extra input would be helpful. If the CSL could find a way to cap the league at 10 (I believe I heard an interview that stated that 8 teams was too few), new teams from Ontario need to join CSL-2(ON). The bottom 2 teams from the CSL would be dropped to their respective regional league (ON or QC) and the top team in CSL-2(ON) and the LSEQ-1 could be invited to join the CSL. The promotion / relegation model will work. Teams will get a peek at what the next level looks like and top teams dropping down get a reminder as to what they like about the top level. It will also, slowly, make the current CSL a Windsor-Quebec Corridor league.

Agree on the advisability of having promotion and relegation where the LSEQ and OSL are concerned obviously. Things are complicated in Ontario by the fact that the "provincial" league only really covers the Golden Horseshoe (a bit like the CSL). That means that the top district level leagues in other large cities like Windsor, London, Kitchener and Ottawa are de facto top-tiered elite amateur level as well.

Just so you know the plan the CSL appear to have for the Windsor-Quebec corridor right now (according to their new commisioner Domenic Di Geronimo on a recent It's Called Football podcast) is three conferences of 8 (along the lines of western Ontario, GTA, and eastern Ontario & Quebec).

That makes a lot more sense to me than trying to emulate what the NSL did in the late 70s by having a conventional single division based on semi-pro players with 9 to 5 jobs and families/relationships covering that kind of area, given the driving time one way from Windsor to Quebec City must be around 15 hours, but I seriously question whether three conferences would actually be enough to make the travel manageable.

[Macksam]

Winner: Juby

[Alex D]

Just so you know the plan the CSL appear to have for the Windsor-Quebec corridor right now (according to their new commisioner Domenic Di Geronimo on a recent It's Called Football podcast) is three conferences of 8 (along the lines of western Ontario, GTA, and eastern Ontario & Quebec).

That makes a lot more sense to me than trying to emulate what the NSL did in the late 70s by having a conventional single division based on semi-pro players with 9 to 5 jobs and families/relationships covering that kind of area, given the driving time one way from Windsor to Quebec City must be around 15 hours, but I seriously question whether three conferences would actually be enough to make the travel manageable.

Travel is manageable now with a league stretching from London to Montreal (and previously Trois Rivieres), chopping that into three divisions just makes it even easier.

This system of creating a series of leagues, with travel time of about 4 hours end to end, can work in BC, Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic. The West will be tough to crack, an Alberta league might work but travel in Saskatchewan and Manitoba would be rough, and neither province seems to have enough markets to make a league on it's own.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

It's easy to say that the travel works if you are located in or very close to the Golden Horseshoe and are close to the core rather than at one of the extremities of the travel area. There's a reason why the Windsor Wheels of the NSL and Windsor Borderstars of the C[P]SL were unsustainable despite the latter getting crowds of over 1000 initially. Once the initial wave of enthusiasm wears off it is tough to attract elite amateur/semi-pro level players when every second game entails an 11 or 12 hour round trip to the GTA. When it is no longer possible to sign all the best players locally spectator interest soon dwindles and you either get the London City scenario (perennial struggler kept going on a shoestring budget that the local soccer community pretty much completely ignores) or the franchise folds.

[Macksam]

It's easy to say that the travel works if you are located in or very close to the Golden Horseshoe and are close to the core rather than at one of the extremities of the travel area. There's a reason why the Windsor Wheels of the NSL and Windsor Borderstars of the C[P]SL were unsustainable despite the latter getting crowds of over 1000 initially. Once the initial wave of enthusiasm wears off it is tough to attract elite amateur/semi-pro level players when every second game entails an 11 or 12 hour round trip to the GTA. When it is no longer possible to sign all the best players locally spectator interest soon dwindles and you either get the London City scenario (perennial struggler kept going on a shoestring budget that the local soccer community pretty much completely ignores) or the franchise folds.

A good reason why they are proposing the three conferences in Ontario.

[Juby]

It's easy to say that the travel works if you are located in or very close to the Golden Horseshoe and are close to the core rather than at one of the extremities of the travel area. There's a reason why the Windsor Wheels of the NSL and Windsor Borderstars of the C[P]SL were unsustainable despite the latter getting crowds of over 1000 initially. Once the initial wave of enthusiasm wears off it is tough to attract elite amateur/semi-pro level players when every second game entails an 11 or 12 hour round trip to the GTA. When it is no longer possible to sign all the best players locally spectator interest soon dwindles and you either get the London City scenario (perennial struggler kept going on a shoestring budget that the local soccer community pretty much completely ignores) or the franchise folds.

Your point is completely contridictory, it's actually pretty simple, now you said here the windsor border stars attracted crowds of over 1000 initially (1000 short of my goal of 2000) until the quality of play suffered (ill get to why this is a paticularly bad point soon enough) in a league probably not as skilled as the current season of csl. Don't you think by your own statement that if the people of windsor had a good team to cheer for in a good league, maybe they could even get 2000 tickets, but you talk about spectator interest like it has to fail (I get it, not enough people came out in your day, that doesn't mean 'people' in general won't support teams, it means you need more people, which we now have).

You constantly will say things like it's difficult to be player (no ****) and then act like that's a reason to quit? (did you quit at the first road trip when you were young or something?). If you get the level of play high enough, and get the level of pay a bit higher, your whole point of being able to get a good team together goes off the rails. When you talk about the difficulties of players, your not saying anything new or pertinant, think about how far pdl teams travel and their students in a slighly lower league? Do they give up? sometimes but the more you entice them with quality play and a bit more money the less of a problem this is. your pretty much saying that if you have to sacrifice to play footie, it's not worth it. Whereas in reality, the more you can help them with the sacrifice, the more willing they are to make it.

Also, you do silly things like after you've made your windsor narrative, you act like it's the only possible outcome, then you compare it to london (a city much closer) and force london into your example and say theirs only two possibilities? Can't you see your vastly oversimplifing things? (cause it's the only way you can seem to be making a point). Like I give examples sometimes and say, look, maybe it could work, you give an example and say, 'see it can't work', are you really that simple minded? by your logic, when an inventor fails at his goal initially, he should give up and discourage others from it as well. Also by your logic, MLS was a bad idea cause why make a league 10 years after the NASL failed, I mean you pretend nothing ever changes so by your logic, the americans should have given up long ago

it's so bizarre, a worse team in a worse league has trouble keeping up the quality thereforeipsofactoyouramoron a better team in a better league (in a bigger city, as in the same city but now 5 years later) is doomed to failure?

It just makes no logical sense, You act like theirs only one possibilty and that anyone who disagrees is stupid?

honestly, can you stop making bad points over and over and over agian. You've already pointed out it's hard to be a soccer player, I pointed out that giving them a better opportunity will encourage less to quit, you then point out 'travel', and I say, if weve gotten the players a better deal and improved play then maybe we can keep more fans and sponsors by putting on a better show, you then will say, but what about the fans? and I once again point out a better game on the pitch will hopefully keep the fans, to which you reply, it's hard to be a soccer player.

when you debate my points, you take the current csl, add the one point to it, then try and argue it, you then take that point away and add my next point to the 'current' csl and attack that point seperately, which is just...stupid. My points work together, it's called a 'plan'. I would agree that taking the 'current' csl and spreading it nationally wouldn't work (unfortunately for you, that's not my point), I would agree that expecting 2000 fans a game in the current csl is wildly optimistic (unfortunately for you, no one's making this point), I would agree that it would be hard to attract suffiicient talent into the 'current' csl when it's regional and part time (however, for the 9 millionth time, that's not my point)

My point is to get an idea of what the better markets are through regional Leagues (this must confuse you cause you seem to be of the impression if it fails here, it'll fail there, you literally seem to be allergic to logic?), then pool our best markets to create a good level of play on the pitch to get the fans and improve the situations for the players.

The only thing you've proven here is that YOU WILL SAY ANYTHING, ANYTHING just to save face. You've literally contridcited yourself multiple times because you spew out your moronic desperate points quicker then you think them out. How you figure your saving face when your just proving how full of it you are.

edit: You know what, I'm done, you want to say moronic things smugly just stifle peoples ambitions so you can save face, do it, if it's your desperate mission to crush hope for the sake of it (cause you've got no logical reason to do it) and to end any ambitious talk with a post that's terribly smug to hide the fact that their not very good (and often downright wrong) then do it, I'm leaving this thread for good, I hope your proud, someone who wants to talk about csl expansion and what we can do (Why is it so important to you that people don't have ambitions or plans? your positions is to irrational attack any talk of improvement?WhAT THE HELL???) is now weary from your moronic and repetative smear campaign. It just makes me livid that the subject of the csl expansion cannot be talked about without a couple guys making bad points in their mission to discredit something that would actually benefit them (money lost, the national team will still probably have been served), YOU ARE LITERALLY LIKE BLEATING SHEEP IN ANIMAL FARM.

[paul-collins]

So is Windsor closer to Toronto now than it was 20 years ago? (I'd like to go to more Tigers games)

[Juby]

So is Windsor closer to Toronto now than it was 20 years ago? (I'd like to go to more Tigers games)

last post swear it, I could sworn it was only like a 4, 4.5 hour drive, then realized he probably meant going, setting up, playing then going back, so I edited that not that it matters, he's just pointing out that it's not easy to be a lowlevel soccer player (duh, and btw is exactly the situation I want to improve, ie better teams, competition, pay etc to keep more of these guys playing). and if I accidentaly made it seem that way talking about how things change, I literally just mean more people, more interest, more clubs, more players and so on.

this bit isn't directed at phil collins

Now I'm not going to open this thread if my life depends on it so have fun spewing your full of bs and wasting peoples time for the hell of it.

[jpg75]

Bill Archer weighs in on D2 soccer in the US:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?b=9778

Alot of comments gravitating towards D2 being unsustainable in the US and that D3/PDL or regional leagues might be the only way for most clubs to survive.

[Macksam]

Bill Archer weighs in on D2 soccer in the US:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?b=9778

Alot of comments gravitating towards D2 being unsustainable in the US and that D3/PDL or regional leagues might be the only way for most clubs to survive.

CSL could benefit from this.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

A good reason why they are proposing the three conferences in Ontario.

Which is close to what I stated in an earlier post. Three is a lot more sensible than trying to do it in a single table conventional home and away format as happened in the 1970s in an NSL context (credit to the new CSL management where it is due) but I think it would be a lot more realistic to use something along the lines of the OSA's region format of west (London and Windsor), south (Kitchener, Hamilton, Niagara peninsula and western fringes of GTA), central (most of GTA plus rural area out to Barrie, Peterborough etc) and east (Ottawa over to Cornwall and possibly taking in the chunk of Quebec from Hull to Montreal), then the Montreal to Quebec City portion of Quebec would be another Quebec only conference.

That would mean a five-way rather than a three-way split assuming that northern Ontario (Sudbury to Sault Ste Marie) and the remoter portions of Quebec would be a non-factor at this point. Hook it up in promotion and relegation terms to the OSL, LSEQ and the local district leagues in Ottawa, London, Kitchener, Windsor etc and there would finally be a rational and fully integrated league system for the Windsor-Quebec corridor in which every club would be able to find its natural level based on what happens on the field of play.

[Macksam]

Which is close to what I stated in an earlier post. Three is a lot more sensible than trying to do it in a single table conventional home and away format as happened in the 1970s in an NSL context (credit to the new CSL management where it is due) but I think it would be a lot more realistic to use something along the lines of the OSA's region format of west (London and Windsor), south (Kitchener, Hamilton, Niagara peninsula and western fringes of GTA), central (most of GTA plus rural area out to Barrie, Peterborough etc) and east (Ottawa over to Cornwall and possibly taking in the chunk of Quebec from Hull to Montreal), then the Montreal to Quebec City portion of Quebec would be another Quebec only conference.

That would mean a five-way rather than a three-way split assuming that northern Ontario (Sudbury to Sault Ste Marie) and the remoter portions of Quebec would be a non-factor at this point. Hook it up in promotion and relegation terms to the OSL, LSEQ and the local district leagues in Ottawa, London, Kitchener, Windsor etc and there would finally be a rational and fully integrated league system for the Windsor-Quebec corridor in which every club would be able to find its natural level based on what happens on the field of play.

I don't think any of us would take issue with that in all honesty.

[Alex D]

My only worry about that set up is a dilution of talent. If you are in a weak region you will not have an opportunity to play against the best in the league. Who would Ottawa play against? Gatineau? Cornwall? Brockton? There is a slight drop off there.

It seems to me that you basically want the OSL/LSEQ to become D3 and the CSL clubs should just fold into that structure. This is not good enough, and we will never get anywhere if we settle for what is easiest. Maybe the CSL as it stands can't be the D3 league that we want, maybe we need a new league with a fresh start to set higher standards, but whatever the answer is, we cannot afford to settle.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

As things stand Ottawa teams don't last in either an NSL/CSL or an OSL context because it's an even longer travel distance to the GTA than for Windsor. The new CSL management are on the right track with Ottawa combing with Quebec teams, in my opinion. Just think they would need to chop that up into two conferences (i.e. Ottawa to Montreal and Montreal to Quebec City) to keep travel manageable enough that most of the best players available would be attracted and the London City sort of scenario is avoided. Also worth bearing in mind maybe that the national capital region has about 1.5 million people so multiple teams from there shouldn't be an issue in quality terms if suburban communities like Milton, Vaughan and Brampton merit having teams in a GTA context.

To my way of thinking what is needed is a rational and fully integrated league structure in which travel is kept manageable during the regular season and all the clubs that operate at less than a fully pro D2/MLS sort level strive as hard as they possibly can to be the best they can be in their city/area so they can test themselves against teams from further afield during playoffs. Not sure what more you are looking for than that with the CSL? It's maybe worth bearing in mind that in a greater Golden Horseshoe sort of context there are currently 11 teams and the format I'm proposing would involve 16. That shouldn't result in a huge talent dilution particularly given some of the obvious gaps in the current league membership like Scarborough, Oshawa and Kitchener.

[coppercanuck]

BBTB, I love the phrase "fully integrated league structure". I do think that these leagues have a lot to gain by felling part of that league structure. I think the CSL could stay as a "Corridor" League, add the Ottawa-Carleton and Quebec leagues as a step below and allow teams to slowly get promoted. Ottawa is interesting as 4 teams competed in the Ontario Cup from the OCSL. Does that mean that those 4 clubs have the financial means to take their club to the full extent of that competition (Nationals)? Maybe. I really have no idea.

Here is a quick Fantasy 2011 CSL. Relegate 2 teams to the new CSL-GTA-South (currently London City and St. Catherines) and invite promotion from the OCSL and LSEQ champions (currently Ottawa Royals and Royal Select Beauport). Allow return of Trois Rivieres and you've got a 14 team CSL with exposure in Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Trois-Rivieres and Quebec City. The CSL2 (GTA-South) league would then include any new expansion teams from that region as well as London City, St. Catherines and the reserve teams from the CSL clubs in that region. OCSL and LSEQ could operate as normal since they have a promotion relegation structure already in place, they just need to add an extra team to the top division in the year that a team from that region does not get relegated. In 2012, CSL would see 3 teams get dropped and each of the 3 lower league champions get an "invitation to be promoted". If the, Ottawa and Quebec teams avoid relegation, them you could have 4 Quebec teams, 2 Ottawa area teams and the 8 remaining Golden Horseshoe teams. Certainly more balanced from a travel stand point. A firmer media presence in Quebec and Ottawa in a year when Montreal Impact make their MLS debut.

Forging those relationships with the top senior leagues will be the challenge in creating the "fully integrated league structure". Getting the OSA, FSQ and the CSA to play nice might be a challenge also.

[Alex D]

bbtb, I would be fine with your league structure if there were serious plans in place to create a "premier" division above them. Work out the pro/rel between the leagues and reward the best of the premier league with entry into the Voyageurs Cup. While we are figuring out D2 and 3, we can work downward through 4,5,6, and all the way down to your local rec team. We both seem to want the same thing in the end, "Fully integrated league structure", I just happen to want it to reach higher than you think it can.

Once the CSA has sorted out it's governance structure(fingers crossed), I'd like to seem them plot out an actual Canadian soccer pyramid. Instead of randomly designating 3rd party leagues based on the amount of money they spend, take control and build a system of pro/rel leagues from the very bottom to as high as it can feasibly grow. Bring in all of the major stakeholders in the game(major club owners, league reps, sponsors, potential investors, the media, etc.), and figure out how to make it work at the D2 level. There are more than enough markets in Canada to draw 2,000 fans per match, enough to support a regional D2 set-up, so long as it is done properly.

[paul-collins]

Maybe a stupid question, but what is the playing schedule for a proper D2 league? Would it exist if you only play from April to October, or does it need to be 9 months, or longer? Are our players developing enough given the weather constraints on the season to provide D2 level of play? (Or, to ask it differently, would our D2 be interchangeable with the US D2 in terms of skill?)

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

...Forging those relationships with the top senior leagues will be the challenge in creating the "fully integrated league structure". Getting the OSA, FSQ and the CSA to play nice might be a challenge also.

"Wildly optimistic" was how I described expecting this sort of stuff to happen in an earlier post. I post about it more in hope than expectation. The key attraction of the current franchise model to soccer bureacrat types is probably that it enhances their power and level of control. You also maybe need to have been involved directly to understand the mentality of people who run top senior level soccer clubs. A gathering of people like that is never likely to be mistaken for a MENSA convention so nothing is likely to ever happen without a strong strategic vision being in place at the OSA and CSA sort of level but you only need to look at what's happening in Alberta right now to get some insight on what goes on and what really motivates the people involved.

Bring in all of the major stakeholders in the game(major club owners, league reps, sponsors, potential investors, the media, etc.), and figure out how to make it work at the D2 level. There are more than enough markets in Canada to draw 2,000 fans per match, enough to support a regional D2 set-up, so long as it is done properly.

Think it's clear that for now at least the CSA's plan is to use USSF sanctioned leagues at the D2 and D1 level. Beyond that I think there needs to be realism about where D3 level soccer is at right now. Teams that attract 200 or so to a game are probably barely even covering the money they need just to pay their basic expenses like refs, stadium rentals and annual league fees. If crowds started to return consistently to the low four figures sort of level that NSL games often could attract back in the 70s and 80s and the money was actually being made to pay the players significant salaries it would be realistic to start thinking about putting a higher D2 tier in place. I'm far from convinced that will ever happen in a CSL context, however, as there are so many more entertainment options for people nowadays and so much more access to high quality soccer on television. Comparable local semi-pro leagues in baseball and hockey aren't able to make much headway either so it isn't just an issue that affects soccer.

Maybe a stupid question, but what is the playing schedule for a proper D2 league?

Think it would have to be April to October like the NASL/USSF-D2 is at the moment because the climate is what primarily dictates when games can be played. Playing in April and October could be a major issue in cities like Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, for what it's worth.