The Canadian Premier League, Canada’s professional men’s soccer league that is set to debut in the spring of 2019, unveiled the league’s first emblem, visual identity and brand position Friday morning.

Today’s announcement kicks off a series of announcements planned over the coming weeks that will include officially naming the founding clubs of the CPL’s inaugural season.

“The story of the Canadian Premier League begins today – and it starts with a coast-to-coast narrative that gives hope and a destination to the next generation of soccer players, coaches and supporters across this great country,” said CPL commissioner David Clanachan. “We are all so incredibly proud to share a vision and identity for our league and look forward to revealing key details on the founding clubs hitting the pitch for our inaugural 2019 season.”

The league is expected to begin play with eight to 10 teams, including entries in Winnipeg and Hamilton, Clanachan said in a report earlier this year.

The league’s emblem tells the story of the Canadians’ soccer journey from club to community and all the way across the country. It’s inspired by the North Star, as it acts as a central icon and guiding light for soccer in Canada. The star is surrounded by elements that shape into the Maple Leaf, a major symbol of Canada. Each colour of the logo represents something different. The pitch (green), sky (navy) and ocean (blue) reflect the cultural mosaic that is Canada and also emulates the colours seen in the Northern Lights.

There will also be a red version of the emblem that will be used when CPL clubs play in the CONCACAF Champions League and the Canadian Championship.

The CPL’s goal with the emblem was to accurately deliver on what soccer means to Canadians.

The league also launched a manifesto video that outlines of the story of the CPL and how Canadians will be impacted by a professional soccer league created by Canadians and geared to Canadian soccer fans.

“The CPL is a league for Canadians by Canadians and supporters have been integral every step of the way. They’ve helped shape the league’s identity through insight gathering discussions, feedback on early work, and even appearing in the launch video, making them part of the movement we’re creating,” said Ari Elkouby, vice-president and creative director at J. Walter Thompson Canada, a Toronto-based marketing and communications company.