Nearly every corner of Barrie’s lakeshore from Johnson’s Beach all the way around to Minet’s Point Park was dotted with bright beach blankets and camping chairs Saturday afternoon as thousands of people craned their necks to check out the Barrie Air Show.
The event, which started Friday night with a free concert at Meridian Place followed by a drone light show and runs until Sunday afternoon, kicked off with Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team the SkyHawks, who jumped out of a 440 Twin Otter displaying bright red and white Canadian flag parachutes.
One jumper even donned a large Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 2024 Centennial Flag, as this weekend’s event also helped celebrate the important milestone.
The show included the Canadian Forces Snowbirds (431 Air Demonstration Squadron), the Canadian Armed Forces SkyHawks Parachute Team, the CF-18 Demonstration Team, the Northern Stars Aeroteam, solo aerobatic pilot Mike Tryggvason, Timmermans Legends of Flight P-51 and Sea Fury, the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association and the Edenvale Classic Aircraft Foundation, which featured a de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth and a Cornell, both of which served as training aircraft during the Second World War.
Alcona resident Lianne Hudon brought her nine-year-old daughter to watch the show, setting up for the afternoon on the hill in front of General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre. She says they were most excited to see the F-18 fighter jets.
“(We) decided to venture down to the airshow because we haven’t been down for a few years and it is a perfect day weather-wise to enjoy the show. We also enjoy open air and supporting local, (and) exploring homemade goodies at the booths,” she said.
Stephen Greenberg and his wife set up their chairs on the lawn beside the community centre to try to get a good view. They attended last year’s air show and enjoyed it so much they decided to come back this year.
“It’s a fabulous event. It’s a perfect day,” said the Barrie resident. “I really enjoyed it last year. I think Barrie puts on fabulous events and I think it’s wonderful for the downtown businesses so I like to come out to support.”
Zofija Goldie, along with her grandson Ryder and granddaughter Addie, were looking forward to seeing the Snowbirds — who were scheduled to end the more than two-hour long air show above Kempenfelt Bay — for the first time.
“We are excited. I remember the Snowbirds from when I was a kid down at Ontario Place when they used to do an air show there. I used to take my son down there all the time too... it was awesome. I didn’t even know they had an air show here,” she said, adding they were also excited to learn they were in the perfect spot to see the parachuters land after their demonstration. “I didn’t know they were going to have parachuters, so that’s awesome.”
The free weekend-long event is in partnership with the City of Barrie, the Canadian Forces Base Borden, the County of Simcoe, Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, and the Downtown Barrie BIA.
The air show will return to the sky over Kempenfelt Bay again tomorrow, beginning at 1 p.m.
