SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Canadian Forces Snowbirds

Honourable senators, next week in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, we will celebrate the fifty-fifth anniversary of the jewel of the Royal Canadian Air Force — the Snowbirds. As part of those festivities, the team will perform its last full Canadian show at its home base of 15 Wing Moose Jaw. I am beyond grateful to be invited to witness it, but this time it’s not only the Snowbird season closer — it’s potentially forever.

The Liberal government decided to ground the Snowbirds and replace their Tutor jets with prop planes sometime in the early 2030s. Until at least then, this beloved squadron is on hiatus. According to those who know — former Snowbird team leads — such an extended full stop in the hands-on training of Snowbird pilots in aerobatic manœuvres is unwise and profoundly unsafe.

This doesn’t have to happen. The federal government can and should do the right thing and change its mind. They should listen to the thousands of Canadians who are sending the Prime Minister postcards and signing petitions to keep the Snowbirds flying. The government must consider what they are forcing Canadians to sacrifice by putting the Snowbirds on the chopping block.

Clearly, the Snowbirds are Canada’s best military recruitment tool. To witness the team of nine Snowbird jets flying in formation is breathtaking. From the first roar of the engines, you can’t help but feel shivers down your spine, and as they rip across that boundless Prairie sky, they are pure power and grace. The jets streak and dance high above the awestruck upturned faces of the crowd below. They stir hope and pride with every daring, intricate manœuvre.

How many Canadian children have been inspired to dream about becoming pilots after watching their first Snowbird show? So many have said that it was exactly the case for them, and on the way to achieving their dreams, many proudly served in the Canadian military and trained as pilots at 15 Wing Moose Jaw.

Take, for example, Maryse Carmichael, the first female pilot to fly with and lead the Snowbirds. She said seeing the Snowbirds perform at a Bagotville, Quebec, air show when she was 6 or 7 planted a seed.

Carmichael’s prominent role with the Snowbirds, in turn, inspired other young girls to dream big. Captain Sarah Dallaire, the second female Snowbird pilot, also attended air shows as a child. She said:

I saw Maryse Carmichael when I was 12-years-old and that put a flame in my heart that I wanted to follow for the rest of my teenage years.

And Canadian astronauts Jeremy Hansen and now Joshua Kutryk, who is currently at the International Space Station, trace their roots back through their military jet training at 15 Wing Moose Jaw.

Last year, in the face of threats to Canadian sovereignty, the remade “My name is Joe, and I am Canadian” ad closed with a shot of the Snowbirds doing the Maple Split over Parliament’s Peace Tower because there is nothing more Canadian than that.

This Liberal government needs to consider the gravity of its decision to ground our Snowbirds, because silent skies won’t inspire the next generation of Canadian children to dream big.

Thank you.