As their Tutor jets are set to be replaced in the coming years, the Snowbirds are using their 55th season to reflect on a legacy that has made them one of Canada’s most recognizable symbols in the sky.
This year's Barrie Airshow is one of the final Canadian stops for the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron before the CT-114 Tutor jets are retired and replaced by Swiss-made CT-157 Siskin II aircraft.
The Canadian-built Tutors have been the only jet the Snowbirds have ever had, with 190 made in the mid-1960s.
"It's the classic sports car of the air," Snowbirds public affairs officer Capt. Philip Rochon told reporters at a media event Friday ahead of the Barrie Airshow. "The straight-wing design allows a lot of maneuverability. When you look at several U.S. allied teams, they're very fast and powerful, but they don't have the maneuverability we have to keep the formation in front of the crowd for 30 minutes. Our speed, agility and the talent of our pilots keep the show centered right on the audience."
They have performed nearly 3,000 times since 1971, including multiple times over Kempenfelt Bay.
They've also become staples of national events and celebrations, flying over Parliament Hill on Canada Day, the Grey Cup and the F1 Canadian Grand Prix on multiple occasions.
Following their practice run over Barrie on Friday, the Snowbirds took off from Lake Simcoe Regional Airport in Oro-Medonte and performed a flyover above Toronto Stadium just before the Canadian men's national soccer team kicked off its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Seeing Canadians talk about the memories they have of seeing the Snowbirds for the first time or at the Olympics or over Parliament Hill on Canada Day, that means a lot to us," Rochon said.
Sean Voskamp, a pilot with the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA), also performing in the Barrie Airshow, says he, like many other pilots, chased careers in aviation because of the Snowbirds.
"As a kid when you see something that inspires you, it helps you pursue that as a career," he told Barrie360. "Pretty much everyone here saw them at some point and are in that boat. So it's sad to see them go; they've been doing it a long time."
Across their final season with the half-century-old aircraft, there will be 18 Canadian shows as they take to the skies over Kempenfelt Bay before their final performance in Sacramento, Calif. on Oct. 11.
Rochon said Barrie remains a meaningful stop on the team's schedule because of its connection to nearby Canadian Forces Base Borden, where the Royal Canadian Air Force began and many technicians receive their training.
"It's bringing a bit of give back to the community that trained us and allowed us to become what we are," he said.
"Our mission is to inspire Canadians, whether it be to military service or to follow whatever their dreams might be... All of us started out on the ground looking up, seeing these iconic aircraft or the other air show performers and making it our mission to do that someday. So for us, it's a great privilege."
Inclement conditions forced the Snowbirds to cancel their performance at the 2025 Barrie Airshow.
Members of the Snowbirds team will also be on the ground at Meridian Place during the airshow weekend to sign autographs and provide information about the Canadian Armed Forces.
This will be the first time the Barrie Airshow will feature a twilight show, which will take place on Saturday, before an afternoon display on Sunday.
Weather forecasts from Environment and Climate Change Canada say there is a chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorms in the Barrie area Saturday, with showers also expected Sunday.
