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While the grounding of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds has come with the promise of upgrades and investments, many are reacting to the decision with sadness and frustration.
Roger Blager, a private pilot and president of the Moose Jaw Flying Club, joined The Evan Bray Show with guest host Tamara Cherry on Tuesday immediately after the announcement by Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty.
He said the Snowbirds have a big impact on the community – in Moose Jaw and beyond – but explained that the decision announced on Tuesday was made in the interest of safety. The biggest issue – and one he asserted has not been discussed – is the ejection systems in the demonstration team’s aging CT-114 Tutor aircraft.
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He said those safety systems are “the biggest problem” with the Snowbirds’ planes.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Blager said. “We don’t want to lose the jobs, we don’t want to lose the continuity, but we do want our people to have the very best.”
He called the reaction to the announcement has been mixed.
“There’s elation that we’re going to be finally, finally, finally getting new equipment for them. There’s a sadness about the gap and the requirements,” Blager told Cherry.
However, Blager said he’s heard positive reviews about the newly selected CT-157 Siskin II aircraft that will ultimately replace the Snowbirds’ current fleet.
“Their performance is unbelievable,” he said. “They’re incredibly fast, just marginally slower than the CT-114, and super-capable modern avionics – which we call glass cockpit systems – in them.
Blager said the new aircraft will address the safety concerns around the aging Snowbird aircraft, and feature modern ejection systems that can handle upside-down ejections.
Fraser Tolmie, the MP for Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan and former mayor of Moose Jaw, said on The Evan Bray Show that the announcement left him “heartbroken.”
“We have a perfectly good air demonstration team that have (had) $30 million invested into the airplanes to upgrade the cockpits for them to be able to fly to 2030 and beyond with a possible change in maybe the formation – maybe going to a seven-person team – and it seems to be that we’re getting bad news and we’re thinking that it’s great news,” Tolmie shared.
When asked by Cherry about the safety concerns that have been voiced about the aging Snowbirds fleet, Tolmie said the answer “goes to the heart of how the Liberal government has run this military into the ground.”
Tolmie said BAE Systems Hawks – British single-engine, subsonic, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft – used to fly in the Moose Jaw and Regina areas. He asserted those could have been used as a stopgap measure to prevent the team from being grounded until the replacement aircraft come online in the early 2030s.
“Instead, they were sent to Borden to be cannibalized and used for training purposes for aircraft technicians and mechanics,” Tolmie told Cherry.
He also said the air force was asked to upgrade the fleet’s ejection seats, an option which he said was rejected.
“They’ve upgraded the cockpits to be glass cockpits,” Tolmie said. “If the jets were unsafe, the team would not be flying. If the jets were unsafe, the minister would not be signing off on the air show for 2026.”
While he acknowledged that the Tutor jets are old, Tolmie said he believes they could still fly until 2030.
“They’re more than capable,” he said.
Speaking about the difficulties around recruiting and retaining pilots, Tolmie said the announcement on Tuesday could have a negative impact on those efforts. He said now, more than ever, Canada should be flying its flag while its sovereignty is being challenged.
“For the next number of years, we’re going to be watching the Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying over our skies at our air shows, instead of having (a) Canadian air demonstration team,” he said.
“Canadians want to be inspired by Canadians… Let’s not fool ourselves. This is bad planning.”
Tolmie blamed the federal government for outsourcing training and still waiting to purchase aircraft that Canada previously committed to. Though he voiced support for an increase in pay to people working in the military, he expressed concerns about the lack of equipment being purchased and sent to troops.
The new CT-157 Siskin II planes promised to replace the Snowbirds fleet in the early 2030s. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)
The former mayor noted that he was borrowing a cell phone for his interview with Cherry, because his was being inundated with calls from “people who are absolutely livid.”
“Our hockey, our Warrior hockey team, has the Tutor on its jersey, and it’s something that our community has embraced, and so this is heartbreaking,” Tolmie stated.
“This is not just Moose Jaw’s team. This is Canada’s team. This is an emblem of Canada, and we need this now more than ever.”
Tolmie said people want to go to air shows to “see things that are fast and loud, and that just penetrates their hearts.”
He said he would like to see new jets purchased for the Snowbirds, saying the team and Canadians deserve it.
Blaine McLeod, the Government of Saskatchewan’s military liaison, also joined Tuesday’s edition of The Evan Bray Show to share his thoughts on the grounding of the Snowbirds.
He called the announcement “somber and reflective,” noting that he grew up watching the demonstration team practice from a farm just west of Moose Jaw.
“Growing up and being part of the air shows and always seeing that, it was very, very bittersweet to know that today was an announcement that this season would be the last of those beautiful, beautiful aircraft,” he shared.
“I really hope that the transition would be seamless to what we know we need – new aircraft – but that’s not to be the case, and so early 2030, read into that what you may.”
McLeod said the years-long absence for the team made Tuesday’s announcement less sweet, but he said he’s glad the team will remain based in Moose Jaw. He also voiced gratitude that families connected to the Snowbirds received certainty that they will remain able to work and stay connected to Moose Jaw and its surrounding communities.
“But what they really want to do is fly those beautiful planes and just show what Canada is capable of, and they just are going to be grounded for a foreseeable future,” McLeod said.
On the recruitment front, McLeod said nothing encourages those efforts more, in his opinion, than “having a beautiful air show that features Canadian military personnel, pilots, and support crew.”
He said the number of lives impacted by the decision will be significant.
“I just really wish them a terrific closing season. It’s going to be sad for all of us to see that loss, since we’ve come to love them so much,” he said.
“I really wish it had been seamless transition from one from one plane to the next.”
McLeod said he foresees a big final show in Moose Jaw this year, and he’s hoping for a positive and safe season without accidents and with plenty of adulation.
“I’m really encouraged by the fact that it’s staying in Moose Jaw, and that we’ll have that continuing legacy right here out of Moose Jaw with 15 Wing,” he said.
While the federal government has said the replacement program will bring significant investments into both the Snowbirds and Moose Jaw infrastructure, McLeod said most people will be focused on the “sour point” of losing the demonstration team that Canada is “so well known for.”
People in Moose Jaw disappointed by team’s grounding
People in downtown Moose Jaw had a wide range of opinions on Tuesday morning as they learned about the pause.
While some were indifferent, others were feeling the decision personally.
“Well, for our family, it’s quite sad to hear,” Judith Barber said. “It really is, because they’ve been a part of our community for a very long time. They do a lot of positive things for not only our city, but for our country as well.”
Barber said she’s seen generations of Snowbirds pilots travel to other parts of Canada and the world, and she’s taken pride in it.
“The country and the world knows a little bit about Moose Jaw that way,” she said, “but financially too, it’s going to be a big downturn to our community.”
Wayne Tkachuk felt getting new planes in the air should happen more quickly.
“Thirty-six months, three years, would be reasonable,” he said.
“They’re a piece of history in Canada, they’ve done air shows for years, and nobody beats them. They’re the best in the world, aren’t they?”
But Joel Duperreault was skeptical about the ability to replace the planes at all.
“Canada’s supposed to be getting new planes too. So, I mean, if we can’t get new planes, the Snowbirds aren’t getting them anytime soon,” he said.
Leanne Scholpp-Smith pointed to the logo of the Moose Jaw Warriors on the side of the Temple Gardens Centre, a logo inspired by the Snowbirds.
“They’re certainly a symbol of Canada, but really important to Moose Jaw too.”
Mayor hopes Snowbirds come back bigger and better
Moose Jaw Mayor James Murdock is looking at the announcement from a positive point of view.
“I think that it’s reassuring to know that they are speeding up the pace for a new plane for the Snowbirds, so that’s that’s great to hear,” he said.
“It may be difficult to understand right now that things are concluding for the Snowbirds, air show wise, following this year, and then into 2027, they will be retired, with the Tutor jets.
“We’ll continue to monitor, and look forward to having open, active discussions with the Ministry of Defense to see at what pace procurement is moving on.”
Murdock added it’s reassuring to hear the minister say Moose Jaw will continue to be the home of the Snowbirds.
“That’s very important,” he said. “This really is the only community that they do belong in as their headquarters, and to be based out of.
“The Snowbirds are very cherished here in our community, and we appreciate everything that they do for our city of Moose Jaw, and we look forward to the coming years and decades.”
— with files from 980 CJME’s Geoff Smith
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