Let the Snowbirds Fly
Ottawa, ON – Today, Fraser Tolmie, Conservative Member of Parliament for Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, released the following statement on the Liberal government’s grounding of the Snowbirds:
“For fifty years, the iconic Snowbirds of the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron have served as one of the Canadian Armed Forces’ most effective recruitment tools and a powerful showcase of Canadian military excellence. They have inspired countless Canadians across the country to join the Canadian Armed Forces and become pilots.
“Without offering a clear explanation, Prime Minister Carney is prepared to erase that proud legacy by cancelling the Snowbirds without providing a replacement, making it even harder to recruit the men and women our armed forces urgently need.
“The Snowbirds have an unmatched ‘wow’ factor that inspires Canadians both to enlist and to respect those who already serve. Every year they take to the skies, they ignite a new spark of interest in serving in the armed forces. It would be short-sighted for the Liberals to snuff that out.
“Several years ago, the government allocated $30 million of funding to keep the Snowbirds’ fleet of Tutor jets airworthy through 2030. Despite countless opportunities to do so, the federal government has made no progress on replacing the aircraft. There is no excuse for waiting this long to produce a plan to keep the Snowbirds flying; but it’s not too late to save one of Canada’s most iconic symbols.
“Unlike many symbols of Canadian heritage, the Snowbirds do not sit behind glass in a museum or live only in history books. They are a living example of Canadian excellence, not a relic of the past, and they have an important job to do for the future.
“Liberals are signalling that this is merely a five-year pause. But if the squadron is disbanded, the culture of excellence and institutional knowledge of the pilots, ground crew and support staff will be lost, and that will be difficult, if not impossible, to recover.
“Instead, the Liberals should be doing everything possible to make up for the decade they just wasted, keep the Snowbirds in the air through 2030, and ensure replacement aircraft are delivered by then.
“The Snowbirds stand as a symbol of Canadian identity and pride. They inspire future generations to step forward, serve their country, and believe in what Canadians can accomplish together. This is not the time to mothball the jets and leave them grounded forever. It’s precisely the right time to let them tear across Canadian skies and inspire us.
“Now it’s time to save our Snowbirds.”