The Barrie Airshow is set to soar high above Kempenfelt Bay June 15-16 this summer.
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds, CF-18 Demonstration Team, the SkyHawks Parachute Team and the CH-146 Griffon helicopter will all be part of a show expected to attract large crowds to Barrie’s waterfront and downtown.
“Last year, the Barrie Airshow brought in tens of thousands of residents and visitors to Barrie’s downtown, to our waterfront and to our city at large,” Mayor Alex Nuttall said at Wednesday’s announcement at Sandbox Centre in the downtown.
“The economic impact of these major events is incredible for our community, for our hotels, for our restaurants and certainly showcasing the best we have to offer in terms of our waterfront and the best we have to offer in terms of our citizens, and those who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces,” he added.
Col. Jonathan Michaud, commander of Canadian Forces Base Borden, located west of Barrie, said this event reinforced longtime connections between the city and local military base.
“This is an opportunity to recognize the strong ties that the military has in this region, with Borden serving as the historical birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) … an air force that is respected across the world,” he said.
The 2024 airshow will be part of Canada’s Military heritage celebrations, including the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, and the 100th anniversary of the RCAF.
Free programming begins on Friday, June 14 at the Downtown Barrie BIA’s first Open Air Dunlop of the season, CFB Borden’s kiddie commando course and static displays, live music and a screening of Memphis Belle at Meridian Place, along with with a drone show, sponsored by Pratt Homes.
“We are very happy to play a small part in the show,” said Heljar Hansen, co-owner of Pratt Homes.
The military heritage celebrations planned for 2024 have provided the city with the opportunity to transition the air show from CFB Borden and return it to Barrie’s waterfront this year.
April 1, 2024 marks 100 years for the RCAF and the city is marking the century this year at Military Heritage Park, which is near Southshore Centre, on Barrie’s waterfront.
There will be a tulip garden in the shape of the RCAF roundel — an outer blue circle, white interior with a red maple leaf — as well as in-laid brick, also in the shape of the air force roundel, along one of the park’s pathways.
Canada’s Air Force, formed in 1920, was granted the Royal title by King George V and became the RCAF.
On June 6, 1944, Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, to open the way to Germany from the West. Victory in the Normandy campaign would come at a terrible cost, as the Canadians suffered the most casualties of any division in the British Army Group.
On Thursday June 6, 2024, the City of Barrie together with veterans, the hometown Grey and Simcoe Foresters, CFB Borden and the Royal Canadian Legion will mark D-Day’s 80th Anniversary with a parade and ceremony that morning at the cenotaph in Memorial Square. That evening the Foresters will conduct a special Sunset Ceremony.
Also this year is the Freedom of the City March on June 15. This tradition dates back almost 400 years in British Military history, a ceremonial act allowing an armed force to walk freely in a community as a display of its trust and respect.
Last month, city council approved an $180,000 budget to deliver the Barrie Airshow, with as much as $110,000 from the tourism reserve and the remaining $70,000 raised through sponsorship.
City councillors have also shown interest in how many attending the airshow are from outside Barrie, and potentially staying at area hotels.
Measuring the audience and the economic impact of visitors at the 2024 airshow is included in the $180,000 budget.
It also includes specialized insurance, marketing, programming in the downtown for the event, security and emergency service needs.
And there’s likely more to come. The 2024 city budget includes $10,000 to support any pre-work required to secure the city hosting an air show in 2025.
This year’s Barrie Airshow is being held in partnership with County of Simcoe and Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, along with CFB Borden, the Downtown Barrie BIA, Pratt Homes and the City of Barrie.
