Federal defence minister says Snowbirds will be grounded as aging aircraft replaced

Canada’s defence minister said 2026 will mark the final season for the Snowbirds before the air demonstration team’s aging aircraft are replaced.

David McGuinty made the announcement during a visit to 15 Wing Moose Jaw, the Snowbirds’ home base, on Tuesday. The federal government will procure the propeller-driven CT-157 Siskin II aircraft will take over for the Snowbirds’ long-serving CT-114 Tutor jets, which were first introduced in the ’60s.

McGuinty said 2026 “will mark the final season of the CT-114 aircraft fleet” before the planes are replaced, a project which is expected to take until the early 2030s.

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“Their legacy continues to inspire Canadians from coast to coast,” McGuinty said.

He added that the announcement on Tuesday was “about preserving a proud Canadian tradition, but it’s also about preparing for the future. It’s about investing in this community and the future of Canadian aerospace and aviation training.”

McGuinty estimated the future aircraft training program represents a $9.4 billion investment, with Moose Jaw poised to benefit with a stronger economy, long-term job creation and reinforcement of its community-central role in Canadian military aviation over its 25-year lifespan, during which it is expected to create about 3,400 jobs and $10 billion in economic benefits across the prairies.

Infrastructure updates in Moose Jaw are also planned, including major upgrades and modernization. Rebuilding the runway in Moose Jaw, replacing the fire hall and the construction of 24 new residential housing units are among those projects.

The Snowbirds first flew as a demonstration team in 1971, and have performed at thousands of air shows and events inside and outside of Canada since then.

McGuinty emphasized that the team will continue to be based in Moose Jaw, which he noted has played an important role in Canada’s military aviation history for decades.

“The snowbirds are woven into the identity of Moose Jaw, and Moose Jaw is woven into the identity of the Snowbirds,” McGuinty said, noting that over decades, the Snowbirds have performed more than 2,700 air displays and have covered “countless kilometres” across North America.”

The defence minister noted that the CT-157 Siskin II will serve as a trainer aircraft for the wider Royal Canadian Air Force as well as an air demonstration aircraft with the Snowbirds.

Defence Minister David McGuinty announced on Tuesday that 2026 will mark the final season with the Snowbirds’ current aircraft. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

The announcement follows some speculation over the Saskatchewan-based team’s future, after Conservative MP Fraser Tolmie – a former mayor of Moose Jaw – said air shows across North America were “quietly being told” they couldn’t book the team for events in 2027.

Donna Fritzke, the executive director of Tourism Moose Jaw, said the Snowbirds are more than just jets in the sky. She said they are part of the city’s identity.

“The Snowbirds have put Moose Jaw on the map nationally and internationally, and they are truly the heart of our community,” Fritzke said. “Everyone is so proud to say that we are the home of the Snowbirds.”

On Tuesday, McGuinty called 15 Wing in Moose Jaw, “a place that has shaped generations of Royal Canadian Air Force aviators and helped define Canadian aviation history.”

McGuinty said “pilots are made in Moose Jaw,” and that has been the case for generations of air force members who have gone to the Saskatchewan city “to earn their wings, to prove themselves, to push their limits and to join one of the finest air forces in the world.”

He said 15 Wing has been a place of “excellence” and the Snowbirds have long fostered Canadian pride.

“For 55 years, the Snowbirds have represented Canada and the Royal Canadian Air Force, and with pride, the sound of their engines and the trails of the white plumes of smoke behind them have become part of our national story,” McGuinty said. “They are Canadian icons. They are the pride of Saskatchewan and for millions of Canadians, they represent cherished memories.”

Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, a commander with the Royal Canadian Air Force, said she herself has “extremely fond memories” of flying a Tutor aircraft in her career. However, she said Tuesday’s announcement was a “significant” and “emotional” moment and a decision that was not taken lightly.

“The Royal Canadian Air Force is modernizing at a pace and scale not seen since the Second World War,” she said.

“This transformation is essential to ensure we are ready to defend Canada’s sovereignty and remain a trusted, capable and credible partner in an increasingly complex and contested global environment – one that is defined by rapid advances in technology, from cyber and space capabilities to data-driven and network systems.

“It requires us to move beyond legacy capabilities and invest in a future force that is fully integrated, resilient and adaptable to the demands of the future,” Speiser-Blanchet said of the upgrades.

She spoke of the importance of the people behind the Snowbirds – aviators, civilians and families serving alongside them.

“As we navigate this period of change for 431 squadron members and across the Royal Canadian Air Force, we must lead with clarity, empathy and purpose, ensuring every member understands their role, feels valued for their contributions, and is supported as they adapt and grow.”

The end of one chapter, she noted, opens the door to the next.

“(The Snowbirds) have inspired generations of Canadians, have sparked dreams in young people who have watched precision, teamwork, and professionalism painted against a blue Canadian sky,” Speiser-Blanchet said.

She also noted that the air force will continue to be seen by and connect with Canadians while the Snowbirds fleet is grounded, with both aircraft and personnel participation continuing in air shows, which will include “immersive virtual reality experiences and other innovative performances that bring aviation to life in new ways.”

Buckley Belanger, secretary of state for rural development and member of Parliament for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River in Saskatchewan, introduced Minister McGuinty to begin Tuesday’s proceedings in Moose Jaw. He called it a “joyous and happy event.”

The Snowbirds are expected to deliver their final performance in the Tutor jets in Saskatchewan on July 11 in Moose Jaw. The final performance before the team is grounded is set for October 10-11 in Sacramento, California.

–with files from 980 CJME’s Jacob Bamhour and The Canadian Press