Snowbirds thunder through Victoria ahead of plane retirement
Published 12:39 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Downtown traffic was at a standstill and Dallas Road saw thousands of spectators at the Snowbirds’ final show on Vancouver Island – or at least the last for a while, as the military replaces the Cold War-era jets for more modern models in the early 2030s.
On Tuesday, Aug. 4, the Snowbirds took to the sky over Dallas Road, performing their signature aerobatic air show for the huge crowds – a fitting send-off for the CT-114 Tutors that have captured the hearts and minds of Canadians for 60 years.
Despite the smoky conditions, the sun was shining, and the 45-minute show was the first full show from the team in Victoria since 2015, though they did a brief flyover last July.
The 55th anniversary show went off without a hitch, and the Snowbirds will be moving on to the Abbotsford International Airshow starting on Friday, Aug. 7.