QSSF launches its new name and corporate identity

MONTREAL – The governing body of primary and secondary school, collegiate and university sport in Quebec, the Quebec Student Sport Federation (QSSF) unveiled its new name and corporate identity at a media conference today in Montreal.

Effective immediately, the organization will be known in English by the acronym RSEQ, which stands for Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec.

Among the 150 guests participating at the launch at Olympic Stadium was the Hon. Line Beauchamp, minister of education, recreation and sport. Former McGill University hockey star and three-time Olympic gold medallist Kim St-Pierre and fitness expert Josée Lavigeur spoke during the event about the important role that the RSEQ plays in promoting healthy lifestyle choices and the development of high performance sport in Quebec. École Jeanne-Mance basketball player Armoc Motumbo delivered a stirring testimonial about how sport in schools can help combat dropout rates.

Student sport in Quebec has greatly evolved since its beginning 40-years ago. The previous moniker and visual identity used until today was created in 1988 but had become outdated.
“The development of a new image for student sport in Quebec has been a long and thorough process that represents more than just a new logo,” said Mr. Alain Roy, executive director of the RSEQ. “The new brand is a major turning point for sport in the educational milieu, one that reflects the structural evolution of our organization.”

“We proudly believe that this new identity for student sport will, like its predecessor, hold a cherished place in the sporting venues of schools, CEGEPs and universities across Quebec.”
The new corporate name and identity reflects the dynamic nature of the organization and the commitment to excellence of the entire network. It speaks to the willingness of its members to uphold the mission and values of the RSEQ, while affirming the unity and uniqueness of the organization.

The RSEQ is a major player on the Quebec amateur sport scene, boasting the largest number of participants of any provincial sport organization. There are over 185,000 students and student-athletes in the network’s 14 regions who participate in more than 40 different sports at one of the nearly 2,800 primary and secondary schools, 62 colleges or 12 universities within Quebec.

The strength of a network
The former QSSF was created in 1988 as a result of the amalgamation of a trio of sport federations that had been founded in 1970. The organizations included the Quebec Federation of School Sport, the Federation of Collegiate Sport Associations and the Quebec University Sport Association.

The amalgamation led to the restructuring of Quebec’s student sport system and a renewed effort on behalf of the three sectors to work together to attain the common goal of promoting the development of sport and physical activity in the education system. From the grassroots level through to high performance sport, the Federation emphasized the importance of education and academic success as well as the health and well-being of young people.

The changes and growth of the Federation over the past 22 years has meant that the previous logo, unchanged since its inception in 1988, needed to be updated to better reflect the evolution of the organization. The objective of the new visual identity is to create a strong and unique brand that is recognizable, adaptable and timeless.

The power of 1
The new logo is comprised of a block-style, four-letter acronym spelling out RSQE. The ‘R’ is shaped to contain the number ‘1’ which signifies the unity of the entire student sport network in Quebec. The 1 also represents the leadership role the network plays in sport development, the promotion of academic achievement, as well as the promotion of healthy lifestyle choices among students. The blue represents the colours of Quebec and distinguishes the RSEQ from similar provincial sport organizations elsewhere in Canada.

RSQE also unveiled the first example of the use of the new visual identity guidelines, revealing the logo for the 35th Bol d’or, the Quebec juvenile AAA and collegiate AA and AAA championships coming up in Sherbrooke, Que. in November.

For more details on the new RSEQ logo and brand standards, please consult our visual identity guidelines at: www.rseq.ca

The RSEQ is committed to the promotion and development of sport and physical activity in an educational setting from the grassroots level through to high performance sport. The RSEQ education and academic success as well as the health and well-being of young people.