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Umbrellas shaded spectators from the afternoon sun, cameras pointed toward the sky and cars lined the nearby highway as the Snowbirds gave their hometown crowd one more show in the CT-114 Tutor jets on Saturday.
Thousands gathered at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport for the sold-out Canadian Forces Snowbirds Hometown Event, celebrating the aerobatic team’s 55th season and its long connection to Moose Jaw. The July 11 performance was the team’s final hometown appearance in the Tutor aircraft before the fleet is retired after the 2026 season.
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For many people watching from the tarmac, the word of the day was “bittersweet.”
Michael Dubnyk attended the Snowbirds’ hometown air show at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport, saying the experience brought back memories from his childhood and gave him the chance to share them with the next generation. (Jacob Bamhour)
Michael Dubnyk first saw the Snowbirds in Moose Jaw about 30 years ago, when his parents brought him to a show at the military base. On Saturday he returned with family members, including nephews visiting from Calgary.
“It was awesome. It exceeded my expectations,” Dubnyk said.
“I came here about 30 years ago. My parents took me to the base, and I just remember that experience, so I wanted to give it back to them and give it to my nephews, too.”
Dubnyk said the show allowed him to pass a childhood memory on to another generation before the Snowbirds begin their planned hiatus.
The federal government announced in May that 2026 would be the final season for the Tutor fleet, and performances with replacement aircraft are expected to resume in the early 2030s. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“It’s bittersweet,” he said.
“I know they’re a big part of Canadian heritage. It’s obviously a Canadian heritage moment, but I just wanted to experience that, pass it on to my nephews and keep that spirit alive.”
The federal government announced in May that 2026 would be the final season for the Tutor fleet, which entered service as a trainer in 1963 and has been used by the Snowbirds since the team was established in 1971.
The team is expected to remain grounded while the Royal Canadian Air Force brings in replacement aircraft, with performances expected to resume in the early 2030s.
Three generations of the Bodus family — Chris, Zoltan and Anna — attended the Snowbirds hometown air show, continuing a family tradition that spans decades. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
A family tradition
For the Bodas family, Snowbirds performances have been part of family life for decades.
Chris Bodas attended with his father, Zoltan, and daughter, Anna.
“I’ve been coming out with Dad probably since I was seven or eight years old, so getting to see them one last time is pretty awesome,” Chris said.
Zoltan said he has watched the team since the 1970s, while Chris estimated they have attended about 15 performances together in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
The smaller municipal airport setting gave spectators a close view without the feel of a larger air show, Chris said.
“It’s nice. It’s not crowded, and you get to enjoy the show and walk around and see everything,” he said.
The heat did not deter people from enjoying the day at Moose Jaw’s municipal airport on Saturday. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
His favourite moment came when the aircraft approached the centre of the flight line.
“They come right at you if you’re right in the middle of the tarmac here,” Chris said. “I think that’s pretty awesome, to see them go overhead. It makes me feel like a kid again.”
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds took to th skies for one last time in Moose Jaw on Saturday. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Anna said some of the tight formations made her nervous.
“I just liked all the moves, and one of them was, to me, a little scary,” she said. “I thought they were going to crash like seven times already.”
Despite the nerves, she said getting another opportunity to see the team was special.
“It was pretty great to see them for the last time,” she said.
Dennis Pottage attended the Snowbirds hometown air show in Moose Jaw, saying losing the team would be a significant loss for the city. (Jacob Bamhour)
Part of Moose Jaw
Dennis Pottage said the Snowbirds have a larger presence in Moose Jaw than they might in a bigger city.
“I think that’s partly because of the size of Moose Jaw,” Pottage said. “They have quite an impact, and you see these guys in the streets, and it’s really special.”
He said people in other parts of Canada are often surprised when he explains how frequently Moose Jaw sees the aircraft training or passing overhead.
“When we travel, we’ve seen the Snowbirds, and when you tell people, ‘Well, we see them all the time. They’re in Moose Jaw. They do the occasional flyover,’ they can hardly believe it,” he said.
Pottage said he hopes the team returns as promised once new aircraft are ready.
“It would be really sad if we lose the Snowbirds out of Moose Jaw,” he said. “That would be a really negative thing for the town and for the community.”
Kera Clark stayed cool under an umbrella while watching the Snowbirds hometown air show, saying she grew up watching the aircraft fly over her family’s farm. (Jacob Bamhour)
Kera Clark’s connection to military aviation began on her family’s farm near 15 Wing Moose Jaw.
Clark said aircraft used the area near the farm as a turning point during training, giving her a partial air show from her own yard.
“I could see about half the air show from my yard, except there was a hill, so I couldn’t see the lower stuff,” she said. “They were always flying over the Harvards, the Hawks and the Tutors.”
Clark was ready when tickets went on sale.
“I was on there at 10 a.m. refreshing, and I was probably one of the first ones to get my ticket,” she said.
The first 500 vehicle passes sold out in 18 minutes, with organizers initially estimating the passes would bring at least 2,000 people to the airport. People without tickets also parked along Highway 301 and nearby roads to watch from outside the grounds.
Clark came prepared for the heat with an umbrella, a neck fan, sports drinks and a cooler full of water.
“It’s nostalgic. You couldn’t miss it, right?” she said. “It’s definitely a big deal.”
Colin Kunkel wears a “No Pause, Keep the Snowbirds Flying” T-shirt during the Snowbirds hometown air show in Moose Jaw, showing support for the iconic aerobatic team. (Jacob Bamhour)
Nearly 100 shows
Colin Kunkel stood out in a red shirt bearing the message, “No pause, keep the Snowbirds flying.”
Kunkel said he has attended close to 100 Snowbirds performances since 2010, including shows in Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and Cold Lake, Alta.
“This is the last public performance for the team here,” Kunkel said. “For me, it’s important to come out and support the team and watch one last show with them.”
Kunkel said his favourite part remains the precision of the flying and the reaction it produces below.
“You see the crowds there. They’re just awestruck by what they’re looking at,” he said.
The shirt represented a campaign by the Snowbirds Alumni Association calling for the planned pause to be shortened. Kunkel said he was inducted as an honorary Snowbird in 2023 and wants officials to explore options that could keep the team operating longer.
“We’re just advocating for the team, hoping that perhaps the government, the Department of National Defence and the RCAF will reconsider the length of the pause,” he said.
Kunkel said the turnout, including people watching from outside the airport, showed the depth of support.
“It’s great to see the people come out and support the team,” he said. “It makes me really proud.”
Julian Schober travelled from Prince Albert to attend the Snowbirds hometown air show, saying his family wanted to make sure he could experience the event. (Jacob Bamhour)
A long-awaited return
Julian Schober had previously watched the Snowbirds in Prince Albert but had never attended a hometown show in Moose Jaw.
He said his daughters and grandchildren decided that the 92 year-old should have the chance to see this one.
“I’m glad they’ll be here,” Schober said before the show. “I’m glad to be sitting here, and I’m glad to be here to see this.”
Schober recalled a previous air show where a Hercules aircraft passed low enough for the sound and vibration to shake the ground.
“They had all the props going at the same time,” he said. “They shook the ground like it was an earthquake.”
Saturday’s heat was a challenge, but Schober found some relief in the breeze and shade supplied by his family.
“I can’t take too much of the heat, but you’ve got a little bit of a breeze down here, which is OK,” he said.
Paramedics attend to a member of Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team, the SkyHawks at the performance on Saturday. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
EMS called during SkyHawks performance
The afternoon briefly took a more serious turn during the opening performance by the Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team, the SkyHawks.
One team member required medical attention following a landing. EMS personnel attended to the parachutist on the flight line before the person was placed on a stretcher.
The parachutist gave the crowd a thumbs-up while being moved, prompting applause from spectators. No official information about the person’s condition was immediately available.
The SkyHawks opened the noon flying program in Moose Jaw on Saturday (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
The SkyHawks opened the noon flying program, followed by a formation flypast and the Snowbirds demonstration.
When the Snowbirds finally swept over the airport, the uncertainty surrounding their future was briefly drowned out by the roar of nine jets and cheers from below.
Kunkel said the pause remains difficult for longtime supporters, but the promise of replacement aircraft provides something to hold onto.
“You don’t want them to go away, but while they’re still here, it’s important to enjoy them,” he said.
“It is a little bittersweet, but it’s positive knowing they will get a new aircraft and they will be back in a few years.”
As the final smoke trails faded over Moose Jaw, the hometown crowd offered one last ovation a goodbye to the Tutor era and, many hoped, only a temporary goodbye to the Snowbirds.
— with files from CKOM news
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