Tolmie Warns Snowbirds Could End After 2026 Season
Fraser Tolmie said the snowbirds may face their last air show season in 2026, telling people in his Moose Jaw riding he had been told the coming schedule could be the end for the Royal Canadian Air Force team. The federal Conservative member of Parliament urged the public to send letters and emails to the federal government.
The team has 27 shows on the books for the coming season, including a July 4 display over New York City and appearances in Columbus, Ohio, Jones Beech, New York, Huntington Beach, California, and Sacramento, California. Tolmie represents Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the Snowbirds' home base.
Fraser Tolmie and Moose Jaw
Tolmie framed the team’s standing in unusually plain terms. He described the Snowbirds as a part of national life by saying, “This is like maple syrup.” He added, “This is like ice-cold Canadian beer.” He also said, “This is gravy on our poutine.”
The Snowbirds formed in 1971 and have spent the last 55 years mostly on the North American air show circuit. They are a nine-ship formation team and are currently polishing their routine at Canadian Forces Base Comox on Vancouver Island.
2026 Season and Five Years
AvBrief’s sources said the disruption is likely to be treated as a pause for up to five years rather than a cancellation. The same reporting said the issue is not a financial decision, with Canada short of pilots as the stated pressure behind the proposal.
The team’s 20 or so flying members and support personnel make up a significant share of frontline aircrew in Canada’s relatively small air force. Capt. Phillip Rochon, the Snowbirds public affairs officer, is the named team contact in the material, but the proposal described by Tolmie would reach far beyond one season’s display dates.
CT-114 Tutor Fleet
The Snowbirds fly CT-114 Tutor aircraft. The RCAF recently finished a $30 million upgrade of the fleet, including new glass panels, while replacing almost its entire fleets of fighter, transport, surveillance and rotary aircraft. The Tutors are 60 years old and were retired as training aircraft 20 years ago.
About 100 Tutor airframes were put in long-term storage for use by the demo team. The aircraft were designed and built by Canadair, which later became part of Bombardier, and a few airframes were sold abroad while most remained with the RCAF.
The immediate question now is whether the government moves on the reported proposal before the 2026 season ends or leaves the Snowbirds to finish the 27-show schedule first.
