‘Shining symbol of our very nation’: Campaign launched to keep Snowbirds flying

After this summer, the Snowbirds will be grounded until the 2030s as Canada moves to retire the aging CT-114 Tutor jets. (File)

Following the announcement that the Snowbirds would be temporarily grounded at the end of 2026, the team’s alumni association launched a campaign to keep them flying without a pause.

On Friday, the Snowbirds Alumni Association announced the “No Pause – Keep the Snowbirds Flying” campaign, which encourages Canadians to support solutions that will keep the Snowbirds in operation while preparations are made for a future aircraft platform.

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According to Colin Kunkel of the alumni association, the only way to ensure the survivability of the Snowbirds is to keep the team flying with their CT-114 Tutor jets past this season.

The group outlined the rationale for keeping the Snowbirds flying until 2030, which included using a reduced number of aircraft, which would ensure a smoother transition to new aircraft “without the loss of formation flying that an extended pause would create.”

As part of the campaign, the group urges Canadians to write directly to Prime Minister Mark Carney and send a copy to their local MP, or call their local MP, expressing their opinions on the grounding.

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“The Snowbirds have become a shining symbol of our very nation, uniting us in our pride and accomplishment,” retired Gen. Rick Hillier, former chief of the defence staff, said in a news release from the alumni association.

“They are one of very few Canadian symbols and are needed more than ever in these challenging times. Their absence from the skies would make us less.”

On May 7, the federal government announced the Snowbirds will be temporarily grounded after the 2026 season, while the team’s aging Tutor jets are replaced with the new CT-157 Siskin II.

News of the grounding caused a stir among Saskatchewan residents, especially those in Moose Jaw, the Snowbirds’ hometown.

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Earlier this month, the alumni association raised red flags about the future of the squadron, with former Snowbirds’ pilot Dan Dempsey calling the announcement a “profoundly disappointing moment for millions of Canadians from coast to coast.”

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The Royal Canadian Air Force has operated aerobatic teams since the 1950s, and the Snowbirds were formally established in 1971 as the Canadian Forces’ official aerobatic demonstration team. The group was first formed as the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron.

The Snowbirds have performed at air shows across North America from May to October each year and have regularly flown overseas.

In its 55-year history, the Snowbirds have performed nearly 2,900 official shows and another 1,000 more flybys.

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The Snowbirds’ final hometown show before replacement of the fleet is set for July 11. Tickets for that show sold out in minutes.

With files from Graham Richardson and Donovan Maess