Canadian Heroes Wear Red

On Sunday May 17th, Canada held its breath as a collective unit. Many Canadians were glued to the news and social media as a terrible tragedy unfolded.

Canadians of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds, have heard of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. Just mentioning their name causes youngsters to gaze up at the sky in excited anticipation, and air show lovers to smile and applaud as they watch the dazzling aerial maneuvers performed by these brave and talented pilots.

The Snowbirds were nearing the end of their Canada-wide flyover tour, Operation Inspiration. The purpose of this tour was to salute front-line workers during the Coronavirus pandemic, and to cheer all Canadians who were doing their best to stay home to prevent the spread of the disease. The tour had started in early May on the East coast and had been making their way West.

But on the date in question, those watching the team leave Kamloops British Columbia were staring in horror as they witnessed the worst possible scenario unfold in front of their eyes.

News spread quickly on the internet and Social Media channels, that a Snowbird jet had crashed in Kamloops British Columbia. I happened to see a video that had been shared on Facebook. I clicked on the link which showed the amateur video of the incident that by now, I'm sure thousands of people have seen. The jet had crashed into a home in a residential area. The pilot and passenger had ejected, with the pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall, ending up landing on the rooftop of the home and sustaining serious injuries. As the afternoon progressed, rumours emerged that there had been a fatality. I was glued to social media channels through dinnertime (I live in the EDT time zone). Sadly, those rumours proved to be the truth.

Tragically, the Snowbirds' Public Relations Officer, Captain Jennifer Casey did not survive the crash. She was only 35 years old. Captain Casey was from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and had joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2014, working as the Public Affairs Officer at 8 Wing Division in Trenton Ontario. In 2018, she joined the CF-18 Demo team and spent the air show season travelling with the Norad 60 jet's team as their Public Relations Officer around Canada, the USA and even United Kingdom. She joined the CF Snowbirds in November of that year.

When Operation Inspiration launched, Canada had been feeling like we had already been kicked while we were down. First, with the Covid-19 pandemic causing fear and sometimes panic. Then, on April 18th and 19th, a Nova Scotia man went on a 13 hour crime spree, impersonating a police officer, setting fires, and shooting and killing 22 people while injuring three more. As if that wasn't enough, on April 29th, a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter crashed near Greece, killing the six Canadian military personnel members who were on board. We seriously needed a "pick-me-up". Something to cheer about. Who better to provide this than our beloved Snowbirds?

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are a Canadian icon, performing breathtaking maneuvers at air shows since 1978. It takes a lot of skill and months of training to learn to fly in tight formations and perform the Snowbirds' routine. I've witnessed firsthand how these men and women wow and excite us, and inspire younger generations to join the military, many aspiring to be a Snowbird pilot themselves in the future. I believe that their efforts to cheer us with Operation Inspiration makes them heroes. They bring Canadians together to enjoy their performances. And even though they have recently suffered a terrible tragedy, they brought us together again, to grieve.

I would like to thank the entire Snowbird team, and offer my deepest condolences for their recent loss. To me, you all are, and always will be, true Canadian heroes!