Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, Canada’s beloved Snowbirds, as they celebrate their fiftieth anniversary.

The iconic Snowbirds are at the very heart of our proud Canadian military tradition. They hail from Canadian Forces Base, or CFB, 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan — a city very near and dear to my heart and home.

My late husband, former MP Dave Batters, was a huge fan of the Snowbirds. As Moose Jaw’s MP, Dave promoted and encouraged the Snowbirds through triumph and tragedy. In return, they viewed him as their guardian in Parliament. They presented him with a precious Snowbirds coin in recognition of that.

I was honoured to attend the Snowbirds’ fiftieth-anniversary celebrations last weekend in Moose Jaw. I took that Snowbirds coin with me to the anniversary dinner, and I have brought it with me here today.

The weekend started with a Snowbirds flyover of Moose Jaw by the current team, which thrilled the hometown crowd below. Members of former Snowbirds teams from the last 50 years gathered for a reunion one night and a golden anniversary dinner the next. I saw many old friends from former Snowbirds teams and 15 Wing Moose Jaw, and I met many impressive men and women who have served our country with distinction.

I was excited to meet the very first female Snowbirds pilot, Maryse Carmichael, who later became commanding officer of the Snowbirds. What an inspiration she has been to women in the military.

I also met the current Commanding Officer of the Snowbirds, Denis Bandet, who is originally from Regina. He joked that he joined the military to see the world and ended up spending most of his military career just down the highway in Moose Jaw.

The squadron is a magnificent recruitment tool for the Canadian military. Many former Snowbirds recount how, as kids, they were inspired to become pilots after seeing this incredible team perform, or getting a Snowbirds pilot’s autograph after an air show.

The Snowbirds are inspiring because they are a little bit of magic. They make the impossible possible.

Honourable senators, I hope you have all had the chance to experience the awe of the coloured smoke and roaring engines as the Snowbirds fly in formation over Parliament Hill on Canada Day, or at your local air show. It’s a mighty rumble that makes your heart and imagination soar.

Early in the pandemic, the Snowbirds flew across Canada in Operation INSPIRATION — a tour to raise Canadians’ spirits during a time of uncertainty and isolation. When they flew over my home in Regina, I was on my back deck. I threw up my arms, and I yelled, “Yay, Snowbirds!” It is impossible not to respond with childlike delight where the Snowbirds are involved.

For 50 years, the Snowbirds have amazed and inspired us — a potent Canadian symbol of hope and freedom. But despite the excellent skill of their aviation and avionics technicians, the Tutor jets need to be replaced soon. The federal government needs a plan, now, to secure and procure new planes for this Canadian gem. Let us help the Snowbirds soar high for the next 50 years. Thank you.