The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will perform twice over Nanaimo in mid-August with both evening and afternoon shows planned above the city's waterfront. (CF Snowbirds)

By Alex Rawnsley

to the skies

Afternoon & evening shows planned for Snowbirds first Nanaimo visit in six years

May 8, 2025 | 5:26 AM

NANAIMO — For the first time in six years, almost to the day, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds are coming to the Harbour City for a full performance.

A two-day stop is planned for the squadron with an evening show planned for Aug. 15 and an afternoon demonstration on Aug. 16 in the skies above the Nanaimo Harbour and Maffeo Sutton Park.

The event is being led by the Nanaimo Airport, in partnership with the City of Nanaimo and the Nanaimo Port Authority, with Airport CEO Dave Devana saying the process has been a year in the making.

“We’re very proud to be hosting the event with the City of Nanaimo. It’s always a great event for the public, to get an opportunity to see the Snowbirds in their hometown and so we’re excited about that. There’s a committee that’s been set up…so that we can that we can host these snowbirds for an event for two days.”

Exact times of the performances will be announced closer to the date.

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Appearances by the aerial acrobatic team in Nanaimo have been limited over recent years, despite the squad spending much of May in the Comox Valley training.

Their last performance in Nanaimo was Aug. 14, 2019, an event which drew thousands down to the city’s waterfront.

They joined the final flight of the Martian Mars last August, just south of the city.

A planned fly-by of Nanaimo and other Vancouver Island communities in May 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, was cancelled due to a fatal crash in Kamloops the morning of the scheduled appearance.

Devana said bringing the team to the city was a big joint effort, as will organization of the weekend’s events.

“We always need the City of Nanaimo to be a key player to be able to do a big event like this in the harbour. Then the Nanaimo Port Authority is crucial, because that is that over area that they have jurisdiction, and so we’re going to work together.”

Nanaimo City Councillors approved up to $15,000 in support funding for the event on Monday, May 5.

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