#TheMoment a B.C. pilot survived crashing his plane in Mexican waters
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CBC
12 minutes ago
- CBC
Inspiration Takes Flight
Is rising patriotism the fuel the Snowbirds need? Your browser does not support the video tag. Pause Philippine Francois Gascard Radio-Canada Jul. 1, 2025 Famous for their shows across Canada, the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Snowbirds, continues to draw crowds as it approaches its 54th anniversary. But as patriotism makes a comeback due to American threats, this season could have a special flavour. The surge in national pride may be just what the Snowbirds need as the clock ticks down on their aging fleet of Tutor jets, currently scheduled to be in use until 2030, and their future remains uncertain. As a little girl, Caitie Clapp looked up at the sky. She saw nine sparkling red dots cut through the air, tracing a perfect symphony. "When I was younger, I saw a show over my hometown," Clapp remembers. She says that day changed her life. Twenty years later, Clapp now holds the title of captain and pilots one of these planes herself. She is the only woman on the Snowbirds pilot team and the third in history. Inspiration for young and old alike is at the heart of the Snowbirds' DNA. The squadron has been able to preserve that core principle over the decades, despite challenges. From gold to white One thread of the Snowbirds' history began in 1967, with the formation of the Golden Centennaires. It was the 100th anniversary of Canada's Confederation. The Royal Canadian Air Force set up an aerobatic team to fly gold and blue CT-114 Tutor jets in 100 air shows across the country, and another seven in the United States, before the planes were grounded, despite their commander's protests. That leader, Col. O.B. Philp, would go on to be the commander at CFB Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan. After seeing how people reacted to the Golden Centennaires shows, he thought it would be nice to use the planes for a permanent aerobatic team. The Canadian Forces — Navy, Army, and Air Force — were unifying at the time. It was a delicate period, and the last thing on the minds of senior commanders was the creation of a new aerobatic team. But O.B. Philp had other ideas. "I said, let's set up a formation demonstration team, which I could do as part of my responsibilities [as commander of the Moose Jaw base]," Philp said in the documentary Canada's Magnificent Snowbirds: The First 20 Years. "We were a training command base. The flight instructors here, at the base, needed flight skills to be able to train students." The Snowbirds were initially an unofficial team. The pilots were volunteers. Team members even had to chip in for their flight suits. It wasn't until 1975 that the Snowbirds were officially designated as the Canadian Forces' air demonstration team. Three years later, they finally became a permanent formation and took on the title of 431 Squadron. Flying in the service of Canada Their daredevil manoeuvres — loops, rolls and solo passes — continue to impress the curious and the passionate, but the Snowbirds are much more than a simple aerobatic squadron. They represent a powerful communication tool for the entire Canadian Armed Forces. They're a bridge between the military and the general population, a recruitment tool and a force of national influence. "The Snowbirds have a purpose that is purely propaganda," independent military historian Stéphane Guevremont said. "It's to show the excellence of the Royal Canadian Air Force. They project the image of a Canada that is good at aviation.' The Canadian Armed Forces are looking to restore an image tarnished by various wars. What was once an honour and a duty is now less attractive. This makes the Snowbirds an even more important asset for recruitment. 'We are starting to regain this prestige since the end of the war in Afghanistan, but it's not the same anymore. A young man will no longer see military service as prestige unless they come from a military family." Up in the air: Aircraft aerobatics here and abroad This year again, they will perform nearly 25 shows. This proximity to the public is direct promotion for the CAF. The image of the pilots, straight silhouette and helmet under the arm, evokes for many the aviation heroes of movies like Top Gun, projecting an image of a "cool" military that attracts many spectators. "People, and especially young men, have always been attracted to aviators with films like Top Gun and Tom Cruise. Everywhere [the Snowbirds] go, I'm sure people decide to join the Armed Forces or seriously consider it after seeing a show." "I was amazed by it when I was younger, but at first, I didn't want to be a pilot. I was afraid of going too high, upside down, fast," said Capt. Marc-André Plante, now a Snowbirds pilot. "The cadets convinced me to at least take the glider courses. And then, I realized that I really loved flying and that I wanted to make it my profession. "Being with the Snowbirds is really about being able to overcome all my childhood fears." The Snowbirds attracts pilots from all walks of life to Moose Jaw, Sask., where the team's home base and the main site of the NATO flight training program in Canada are located. The team includes former instructors, maritime patrol aircraft pilots and even a former bank employee, Capt. Jeremy Dionne, who became a pilot. "I joined the Forces for adventure," said Dionne, a Quebecer originally from Saguenay who is in his first year with the Snowbirds. "I worked in banks before and it wasn't what I liked the most. Then, I became a helicopter pilot." "It's always been a dream, even before joining the Canadian Forces," Capt. Patrick Charette, who grew up in the northern suburbs of Montreal, said. "It's an honour. Probably the highest honour I will have in my career. For me, the Snowbirds are the ultimate expression of teamwork." images expandFlying with the Snowbirds is a dream for many aspiring Canadian pilots. Precision and rigour When training time approaches, the roar of the engines replaces the fresh morning wind on the tarmac. This is followed by nearly an hour of high aerobatics. The pilots put a lot of pressure on themselves to be a symbol of precision, excellence and national pride. Rehearsals before the season are essentially complete shows, aimed at perfecting each manoeuvre, each fraction of a second, until everything is impeccable. It is in this daily rigour that confidence is born. In tight formation, fear is a poison. You have to fly with precision and, especially, faith in your teammates. Nine planes fly in a formation so tight that they take up less space than an Airbus A380. The slightest deviation could cost them their lives. Nine Snowbirds have died in training or demonstration since the team was created 54 years ago. image expandsCredit: Veterans Affairs Canada These crashes have marked the lives of squadron members. For retired Lt.-Col. Yves Bossé, a member of the Snowbirds from 1978 to 1980, the memory is still crystal clear. "In 1978 in Grande Prairie, two planes collided while doing barrel rolls. And the tail of Snowbird 8 broke off. The plane went from 1G to -25G. The seat caught fire and ejected, but the pilot was already dead. The plane then fell on a parked car. It was not pretty at all," the former Snowbird recounts. Aircraft tails were overhauled after that crash. This helped detect many deficiencies and potentially save more lives. G-force, shortened to G, measures the intensity of acceleration experienced by a body. In this case, it means that the plane and its pilot were subjected to a force equivalent to 25 times their weight in the opposite direction of gravity — extreme pressure. The pilots are aware of the risk they take every time they take off. They hug each other after each flight, creating the feeling of being part of a big family. Memorial unveiled in Kamloops to honour fallen Snowbirds captain During training, a fraternal relationship develops between the pilots and their ground crew. Friendships are formed in this intense quest for excellence. "We don't hesitate to tease each other, to make fun of each other a little," Capt. Patrick Charette said. "We can also be brutally honest with each other, to make sure we're at the top of our game." "It's like travelling with your family," Capt. Marc-André Plante said. "We know each other very well. We can tell if someone is in a good or bad mood. 'Like a family, we don't choose who we work with, but we learn to work with everyone." O Canada, O patriotism With repeated threats to Canadian sovereignty from U.S. President Donald Trump, patriotism seems to be growing across the country. The Snowbirds show may be even more eagerly awaited by fans this year, both in Canada and south of the border. "The Snowbirds are a pure, 100 per cent Canadian product. They are very popular in the United States. It could be an anti-Trump symbol, a symbol of respect for Canada," Guevremont, the military historian, said. "They might be applauded more loudly." In Comox, B.C., where the team trains for nearly a month, many curious onlookers gather for a free behind-the-scenes look. Some are die-hard enthusiasts. Gordon McDonald has been following the Snowbirds for 24 years. He is there every afternoon when the pilots train in the Comox Valley and knows all the manoeuvres by heart. "It's important for patriotism, for the country. The Snowbirds are the first to represent Canada, and they make us proud. We call them 'the warriors of the air,'" McDonald said enthusiastically. Being part of the 431 Squadron can come at a personal cost. Millions of people across the continent see the Snowbirds in the sky each season, but the pilots' families hardly ever see them. Florence De Garie came to support her father, one of the pilots, and spend a few days with him "It's a little hard being away, but I call him every night or whenever we can call him," the nine-year-old said. "I'm really proud of my dad. Every time he flies, I think of him, and he thinks of me." The girl is taking advantage of the few weeks of training in Comox to cheer on her father and celebrate her birthday with him. Each season, the composition of the 11-pilot team evolves. Each new team builds on the experience of the previous ones. The annual show is designed around the people who make it up, based on the personalities of the team members. "We have a playlist and ask the squadron for suggestions. Then, during the first practices, we try out songs that would go well with the manoeuvres," Capt. Jeremy Dionne said. "It has to be unanimous. The goal is to make those who attend the show feel emotional." The squadron attempts new manoeuvres every season to keep things fresh. For this 54th season, the team drew inspiration from the Red Arrows, their counterparts in the United Kingdom, to create a new formation: the tornado. Your browser does not support the video tag. Pause One last landing? The Snowbirds' mission is to conduct a tour that meets the expectations of both the Armed Forces and the public. After 54 years of existence and aging aircraft, it can be difficult to maintain such a high level of performance. Acquired by the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1961, the CT-114 Tutors are still used by the Snowbirds today. These aircraft have been used primarily for training and aerial demonstrations. Despite strict maintenance, the Department of National Defence stated in 2024 that the aircraft had exceeded their useful life. To keep the CT-114 Tutors flying, technicians must be ingenious and make technical improvements over time. "In the 1960s, it was less computer-based," said Cpl. Francis Hamel, an aviation systems technician for the Canadian Armed Forces. "Sometimes, from one aircraft to another, there are small differences. Some panels can't fit on another aircraft because, in those years, it was more done by hand." Continuous upgrades to the CT-114 Tutors will allow these legendary aircraft to extend their lifespan until 2030, almost 70 years after their initial entry into service. Uncertainty clouds future of Snowbirds as Ottawa looks to retire equipment But repairs can't keep them in the skies forever. "We're going to have to replace these aircraft if we want to continue. And it's going to cost us $1 billion or $2 billion. Are Canadians willing to pay?" Guevremont, the military historian, asked. Guevremont said the need to replace these aircraft could help revive Canada's military aeronautics industry. Previously capable of designing and manufacturing aircraft, the Canadian industry now focuses primarily on maintenance. "It would be my dearest wish that we build this new aircraft ourselves to revive the industry and perhaps sell it to other countries," Guevremont said. For now, until at least 2030, the Snowbirds will continue to delight thrill-seekers by taking to the skies and pushing their limits. Footer Links My Account Profile CBC Gem Newsletters Connect with CBC Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Mobile RSS Podcasts Contact CBC Submit Feedback Help Centre Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6 Toll-free (Canada only): 1-866-306-4636 TTY/Teletype writer: 1-866-220-6045 About CBC Corporate Info Sitemap Reuse & Permission Terms of Use Privacy Jobs Our Unions Independent Producers Political Ads Registry AdChoices Services Ombudsman Public Appearances Commercial Services CBC Shop Doing Business with Us Renting Facilities Accessibility It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. About CBC Accessibility Accessibility Feedback © 2025 CBC/Radio-Canada. All rights reserved. Visitez
CTV News
31 minutes ago
- CTV News
Region of Waterloo to roll out new waste bins in 2026
The Region of Waterloo is giving its residents new cart-style waste collection bins by March 2026. Photo taken on July 1, 2025 (Sidra Jafri/CTV News). Residents of Waterloo Region will be using new garbage and organic bins next year. In a release, the Region of Waterloo said they'd be rolling out new cart-style waste collection bins. It's a move they say will make garbage and organic collection easier, cleaner and more efficient. Residents in the region will have a green cart for organics and a black cart for garbage delivered to them before collection begins in March 2026. The option to choose a smaller black cart is available for residents until Sept. 5, 2025, online or if they call the Region's Service First Contact Centre at 519-575-4400. Any one who misses this deadline and wishes to size up or down after receiving the black cart from the region, is asked to wait a six-month period. After this, residents can ask to change the size of the bin for a one-time exchange at no cost in fall 2026.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘You can't have Canada without the Indigenous folks': Tatanga Day celebrations held in Regina
Tatanga Day celebrations were held at Buffalo Meadows Park in Regina on July 1, 2025. (Sierra D'Souza Butts/CTV News) As part of Canada Day festivities, people in Regina are also celebrating Tatanga Day in recognition of the nation's Indigenous peoples. 'Tatanga,' which translates to 'buffalo' in Lakota, Dakota and Nakota, marks a day of celebrations and commemorations of Canada's Indigenous population – acknowledging the vital role the 'First Peoples' have played in Canada's history. 'It's the reclamation of space. Just exercising our cultural practices in regards to powwow, music, coming together, understanding of our past which was enriched with bison and buffalo are Tatanga,' Indigenous artist Kevin Wesaquate told CTV News. Events were held at Buffalo Meadows Park, live music, a community barbecue and activities such as mural painting took place. 'Kids are grabbing the stencils I've been making for the past week. They are helping me create a tribute piece of a rainbow of charging buffalo across the sky,' Wesaquate explained. 'The rainbow for me is in significant of my late mother. Her name was Rainbow Lady, so this piece really helps me because my mom taught me how to work with youth and children. She worked at a daycare in Saskatoon and is where I still live today.' Wesaquate went on to say that being able to pay tribute to elders and other community members is significant to celebrating the national day. 'A lot of people have different reasons to celebrate this day in Canada, and some folks like myself would rather see a little bit more of an Indigenous celebration along with that, because you can't have Canada without the Indigenous folks,' he expressed. 'With that being said, we're exercising our artistic view, artistically, our cultural views of, creating safe space for Indigenous folks.'
