The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are scheduled to fly over Owen Sound on Wednesday at about 7 p.m., city manager Tim Simmonds told council on Monday. The city said the timing can change because of weather conditions and fuel requirements, so the flyby could be adjusted or cancelled on short notice.
Mayor Ian Boddy told council, “I note the Canadian Snowbirds are about to be mothballed for a while, so this is going to be the last time for a lot of us to see them for a long time.”
Tim Simmonds and Council
Simmonds announced the plan at Monday’s council meeting, and the city said it will keep sharing updates as they are received. For residents hoping to see the jets, that means the window is narrow: about 7 p.m. Wednesday, but only if flying conditions hold.
The Snowbirds have just come off an airshow in Barrie on Saturday and Sunday, and they are scheduled to appear in Columbus, Ohio, from June 19-21. The Owen Sound pass fits between those stops.
Owen Sound and Billy Bishop
Boddy suggested the team chose Owen Sound for the flyover because it is the birthplace of First World War Flying Ace Billy Bishop. The city is tying the visit to a local name with a long military aviation connection.
The timing also comes after Defence Minister David McGuinty announced last month that the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron would be grounded after the 2026 flying season until new aircraft were ready. The Canadian government has chosen the CT-157 Siskin II to replace the Tutors, and it is expected to be at least the early 2030s before the team is back performing.
Snowbirds and the Tutors
The Snowbirds are Canada’s CT-114 Tutor aerobatics team. The jets were acquired in the 1960s as training aircraft, began flying as an aerobatics team in 1967, and received the Snowbirds name in 1971 after a competition among schoolchildren.
They got their red, white and blue paint scheme in 1974, the same year they were authorized to do a fully aerobatic show. The Tutor jets stopped being used as training aircraft in the early 2000s, leaving Wednesday’s pass as one of the few chances for local viewers to see them in this role before the fleet changes ahead.
