If you heard a loud roar in the sky Thursday, you weren’t imagining it. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds soared over central Ontario, giving spectators a surprise look at the famous nine-jet team flying in tight formation. For many, it may have been one of the last chances to see the Snowbirds and their familiar CT-114 Tutor jets before the aircrafts are retired at the end of the 2026 season. The Snowbirds said over social media that they were travelling to Timmins ahead of a non-aerobatic performance in Kapuskasing on Saturday. Along the way, the team had flyovers in Innisfil, Orillia and Parry Sound. In Innisfil, the jets left the community with an especially memorable view. Snowbird 1 captured an aerial photo from above the Town of Innisfil’s municipal campus as the team passed through. The flyover came just days after their performance at the Canadian International Air Show along Toronto’s lakeshore over the Labour Day long weekend. Those performances marked some of the final flights of the Snowbirds over Ontario’s capital until at least the 2030s. The nine-jet aerobatic team of the Canadian Armed Forces will be grounded following the season as its longtime CT-114 Tutor jets are replaced by the CT-157 Siskin II. The Snowbirds have performed roughly 2,700 times in the Tutor jets since 1971, becoming a familiar sight at air shows, national celebrations and major events across Canada. Exactly when the team will return to the skies remains unclear. Defence Minister David McGuinty said in May that negotiations were underway with the manufacturer of the new Siskin jets. Their final scheduled show is set for Nov. 15 at the Grey Cup in Calgary. With files from the Canadian Press
