I haven’t compiled a list of the 10 stories I’ve enjoyed covering the most, but if I did, the old Prince Albert Air Show would be near the top.
I was just a few months out of journalism school in July 2015 when my editor asked me to go get a story and photos from the Air Show, which sadly officially ceased operations in 2022, and the Snowbirds were the highlight.
The Canadian icons drew perhaps the largest crowd Prince Albert’s airport has ever seen. It was the first time in my career I looked around and thought “I can’t believe someone is paying me to be here.”
Fast forwarded to 2026, and the Snowbirds, sadly, are close to going the way of the PA Airshow. Earlier this year the federal government announced the retirement of the Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor Aircraft, which have been in use since the early 1960s. Their replacements, the Swiss-built CT-157 Siskin II, won’t be ready until the 2030s at the earliest. The government has been hesitant to commit to a firm timeline.
It’s frustrating to see such a wonderful symbol of Canadian pride grounded at a time when there is so much “51st State” rhetoric flying around (pun not intended). One might think that given the challenge to our national identity the federal government would move heaven and earth to keep the Snowbirds in the air. Unfortunately, the 2026 air show season will be their last for the next few years. If previous federal government attempts to procure aircraft for the Canadian military are any indication, that wait might be even longer.
I sympathize with the federal government’s decision. You don’t want pilots performing challenging aerobatic stunts in aircraft that aren’t up to the task. However, the problem never snuck up on them.
The Department of Defence first raised concerns about the aircraft in 2003 when they issued a report stating the jets’ lifespan would expire in 2010. In 2014, the Department issued another report stating the planes could remain in the air until 2025, but called them only “technically airworthy” which is not exactly a glowing endorsement.
You would think replacing the snowbird fleet is one of those items that could have easily garnered wide-spread bipartisan support. As Canadian military historian Stephane Guevremont said in a Radio-Canada profile on the Snowbirds one year ago, the fleet is incredibly popular around the world, especially the United States. They might have served as a useful buffer to U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. Instead, they’ll go into hiatus for who knows how long.
The toughest part is that even if the planes are delivered on time, getting back in the air won’t be easy. As former Snowbird squadron commander Col. Dan Dempsey noted in a separate CBC article published in May, the Snowbirds might have to rebuild their team from scratch after such a long hiatus.
If there is one lesson to be learned here, it’s the importance of long-term planning. Governments at all levels can fall into the trap of only thinking as far as the next election. If you told someone in 2003 that the Snowbirds would provide an important counterweight to U.S. rhetoric, all but the most anti-American of MPs would have likely thought you were exaggerating. Yet, here we are. It’s 2026, and one of Canada’s most internationally-beloved symbols is heading into retirement just when we need them most.
Hopefully replacing the CT-114 won’t take as long as Canada’s “would-be-funny-if-it-wasn’t-so-sad” attempts to purchase F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters from the U.S. That procurement process began in 1997. As of 2026, the federal government is still reviewing whether or not to go ahead with its full order.
Failing to get the Snowbirds back running in a timely manner would be more than a disappointment for air show fans. It would be a missed opportunity. There are multiple kinds of power in the world. The two biggest are economic and military, and the U.S. is adept at using both. The third is cultural, and the Snowbirds are one of the biggest bats in Canada’s lineup. The fleet doesn’t just entertain, it reminds regular people of all nations that, actually, Canadians are kind of fun to have around, even if the current U.S. administration thinks otherwise.
Jason Kerr is the editor of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. He has enjoyed watching planes take off and land since he first visited the airport in Regina with his grandfather.
